Beauty and the Blue Eyed Beast
by Silhouette Eclipse
Summary: Yami Motou is a model and Seto Kaiba is looking for someone to showcase his latest duel products. When the two meet, sparks fly, but not in the good way. After being crudely insulted, Yami seeks revenge with a little "help" from Malik! Warning: Yaoi, and a very temperamental Yami... R&R! Prideshipping. Lots of surprises inside!
1. Chapter 1

**Okay so this is my first "serious" YuGiOh! fic so please don't be too harsh... unless, you know, I deserve it for example, if I'm extremely late on updating, the characters are terribley out of character, or if it's just _constructive critisism. _All flames will be ignored, or possibley reported depending on the circumstances, and my mood...**

**Pairing(s): Seto/Yami. If you don't like yaoi, then please press the little back button cleverly placed at the top of your screen. I warned you in the description that this was a yaoi so I don't want to see any flames about it. **

**DISCLAIMER: If I owned YuGiOh! or even part of it, there would more _plot_ and less card games. Seriously... I think they were making those "rules" up as they went along -_-;**

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"Alright Yami, just turn a little more to the left. Perfect!"

The flash of a camera lit up the perfectly sculpted features of Yami Motou. Right now he was in the middle of a photo shoot for a well-known clothing company. The pay was good and he needed it because as his grandfather was getting older, he was also losing the ability to properly run the game shop and pay the bills. Taking on these modeling jobs was just how he put food on the table, since his younger brother was still in high school and couldn't take on a full-time job himself. Or at least Yami refused to let him to. He felt that since he was already an adult, it was his responsibility to take care of Yugi and his grandfather, but Yugi needed to go to school. The only reason Yami didn't finish collage was because it cost too much, and he worked hard to make sure the same thing didn't happen to Yugi.

"That's fine for now Yami, go get some water."

Yami nodded and walked off the set. Being under those hot stage lights was torture for his skin and he took big gulps from his water bottle to rehydrate.

"Hey cutie. Did you take some good shots for me?" a female voice called out.

Yami turned and saw his makeup artist, Mai Valentine, walking towards him. She took out a small white towel from her shoulder bag and tossed to him. Yami caught it with his free hand and started to lightly dab his forehead, careful not to smear any makeup. He didn't particularly care for the cosmetics, but Mai insisted because she absolutely refused to let him get washed out by the very uncomplimenting lighting. However, Yami knew better and figured it was just because she enjoyed deteriorating his male pride.

"Thanks, Mai. I needed that." Yami said.

"No kidding. Be sure not to ruin my flawless makeup job just yet, hun. It seems you're high in demand today." The blonde said with a smirk.

"What are you talking about?" Yami asked, tilting his head in confusion.

Mai nodded her head towards a door in the back of the room, "Seems like the boss has a _special_ client in his office right now. And a pretty handsome one at that."

"Who is it?" Yami asked, his curiosity growing. At least a special client sounded like he could pay off the bills and have a little extra money to spend for himself. Or to buy Yugi a Christmas gift.

"You're about to find out. Mr. Arceneau's coming your way now, hun." Mai said subtly pointing her thumb towards a stout man in his mid forties. He seemed to have a dazed look on his face, which made the ex-pharaoh even more anxious. For as long as Yami had been working for this agency, his boss was never someone who was easily overwhelmed. Whoever this "client" was must have a lot of power and influence.

"Excuse me Mai, but I need to borrow Mr. Motou for a while." Mr. Areceneau said, seeming to regain his normal business like tone.

"He's all yours. Have fun cutie!" the blonde said, winking an eye to her tri colored friend before leaving the two men. '_Mai never changes.' _Yami thought as he followed his boss to the door of his office. Mr. Arceneau stopped before the door and turned to Yami. The ex-pharaoh noticed that there were stress lines beginning to form across his forehead.

"Listen to me, Yami, and listen good. The man in my office right now has just offered us a very large amount of money for a model to use in his commercials. Unfortunately, I also know how stubborn you can be, so I _need_ you to promise me right here and now that you won't do anything to upset this client. I need you to put on the charm and make this man believe that you're a civilized human being who _doesn't _throw potted plants at people."

"Okay, that guy was asking for it, but- " Yami started, but Mr. Arceneau immediately cut him off, "No buts, promise me now Motou or you're out of a job."

"Fine. I promise I won't upset him. So, who is it?" Yami said hastily. He was tired of being in the dark.

"Oh trust me, you'll know him when you see him. Come along." He said. He turned away from Yami and opened the office door. He signaled for Yami to follow him.

Yami walked into the office and watched as his boss walked over and exchanged a few words with a man whose back was turned to him. The man was about 6 inches taller than him with broad shoulders and soft looking brown hair. He sported a very expensive looking gray business suit and his every movement seemed to be competely in control. When he spoke everything, including his body language, just flowed gracefully. Even though he wasn't really paying attention to what was being said, Yami watched the man with interest. In fact, he hadn't even realized he had been staring until Mr. Arceneau said his name. He came back to his senses immediately, but lost them again once the brunette turned around to face him_. 'Holy crap!_' Yami thought, looking into the man's icy blue eyes. It was Seto Kaiba. As in Seto, the youngest CEO of KaibaCorp, rich beyond measure, does whatever he wants when he wants, freaking Kaiba!

Now he knew why Mai had looked so excited... she freaking loved the CEO, and every other guy out there with good looks and a lot of money. However, Yami had payed more attention to the brunette's behavior and public attitude...

"So Mr. Kaiba, I hope he lives up to your expectations. You said you wanted someone with unique qualities and personality to match, and I do believe Mr. Motou here fits that description down to a 'T'."

Why was this happening to him? Everyone knows that he's such a...

"God he's scrawny. And short. You know there's a reason you have to wear so many belts with those leather pants, right? Maybe you should try shopping in the kid's section from now on."

Cold-hearted bastard.

Yami felt his eyes narrow. He had to bit down on his tongue to keep himself from saying something equally as rude back. He crossed his arms across his chest to keep them from balling into fists. He knew he was skinny, but he had a very healthy appetite. Well _his _idea of a healthy appetite, which usually consisted of small salads and some lean meats. Yugi sometimes would joke with him about his eating habits, but coming from Kaiba, it felt like a slap in the face. It took everything Yami had not to walk up to Kaiba right then and punch him in that pretty face of his, or at least ingage in a heated arguement to defend himself.

"It's...very nice to meet you too, Mr. Kaiba." Yami said grudgingly. He felt his mouth twitch and hoped that it went unnoticed for Mr. Arceneau's sake. However, he could care less for the blue-eyed beast.

A sigh of relief appeared on Mr. Arceneau's face, thankful that Yami listened to him. For once. "So, when and where will you need Yami? He's ready to work whenever you are." The stout man asked, trying to divert the tension between the two youths. He had a feeling this would not end well. The sooner the job was over, the better it would be for his blood pressure.

"The shoot will take place tomorrow morning at eight in my mansion. Be there at seven-thirty if you need to have your hair and makeup done, princess. On second thought, come at seven." Kaiba said, looking at Yami with a smirk. He was purposely trying to make Yami's blood boil! Yami swore sweet revenge before this was over.

"I'll be there at seven-thirty." Yami said. He started walking out the door when Kaiba called out to him.

"Don't get lost, dental floss."

* * *

Yami was still fuming over Kaiba as he was gathering all of his belongings from around Mai's makeup table. He exchanged the outfit he borrowed for the photo shoot for a pair of thick black jeans, black boots, a red turtle neck shirt and a heavy black overcoat. He hadn't run into Mai on his way to the parking lot, so as soon as he got home he decided to call her on the house phone to tell her just how "charming"and "handsome" Kaiba really was.

"You're kidding! Haha, he seriously called you dental floss? Too funny!" Yami was becoming even more agitated as his friend continued to laugh at his expense over the phone.

"Yes, and _princess_ and _scrawny_ and _short_. I want to freaking kill him! He doesn't even know me!" He yelled.

"Aw, come on! I'm sure that was just his sense of humor, hun. Try not to let him get to you." Mai tried to reason, though Yami still heard muffled giggling.

"Well then he has one seriously messed up sense of humor. If he starts that up again tomorrow I think I'll be out of a job." Yami grumbled.

"Yami! Dinner's ready!"

Yami held his hand over the end of the phone, "Alright!" He then brought the phone back up to his ear and told Mai goodbye.

* * *

After dinner, Yami immediately went to take a well needed bath to melt away all the stress and frustration that had built up inside of him, courtesy of Seto Kaiba. Yami set the tub temperature as hot as he could make it without burning himself. With the outside temperature as freezing as it was, it took a while for the pipes to warm up and start spouting out hot water. Once the tub was full, Yami stripped and lowered himslef into the bath. He sighed as the heat relaxed his muscles and rested his head on the edge of the tub. He tried to get the young CEO out of his head, but it proved impossible. The insults, that cocky smirk, those beautiful blue eyes... it all drove Yami insane. He knew that there was no way that he would be able to behave himself tomorrow if he spoke to Kaiba. There just had to some way for him to get under the CEO's skin...

But Yami needed a plan. He wanted to get back at Kaiba and make him pay. Nobody made a mockery of Yami Motou without a fight. And if Kaiba was asking for a war, then that's exactly what he's going to get. The only problem was that he had promised his boss he wouldn't pull anything devious. What a shame...

Wait.

He promised that _he _wouldn't do anything, _right_? Now Yami had the perfect plan! He knew exactly how he could reap his sweet revenge and keep his job. There was no way this could go wrong.

With this thought in mind, Yami quickly finished bathing and wrapped a towel around his hair and waist. He impishly rushed into his bedroom and grabbed his cell phone from on top of his bed stand. He smiled darkly as he shuffled through his contact list and waited impatiently as the phone rang several times. The ringing finally stopped after the fourth time and Yami's lips got dangerously wider when he heard the voice on the opposite line.

"Hello?"

"Hey Malik. I need you to do me a favor. What are you doing tomorrow morning?"

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**So what do you guys think? I don't think I did too bad... however I can't say I'm too pleased with the word count. I usually have a _really _bad tendacy of writing big, bulky paragraphs, but I'm glad I didn't end up doing that this time. Cheers for me :) Well, I already have the next chapter sorta kinda planned out so hopefully I'll have that out soon-ish. Make sure you leave a review, Malik performs best with an adoring public ;D**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, so I really wasn't expecting many reviews so quickly, but hey, that's cool with me :D I think I'm having a little "too much" fun writing this fic. I really want to thank everybody who reviewed and to everyone who bothered to read this little experiment of mine. You guys have made my day. And I'm really sorry for the late update... my laptop charger broke, but now I have a new one so yay! **

**Pairing: Yami/Seto. No, it is not a very unique pairing, but I still love it bunches and bunches :)**

**Warnings: Malik's mid drift XD**

**DISCLAIMER: If I owned YuGiOh! I would have already seen the new movie coming out and would be rubbing it your faces :)**

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The next morning, Yami woke up before Yugi and his grandfather. The clock flashed 4:35 in bright, red numbers, making the ex-pharaoh squint. He deemed it too early and tugged the covers up to his neck and rolled over onto his side in an attempt to fall back asleep. Unfortunately, sleep never came to him and after a few more minutes of trying, he started to hear small noises coming from the back of the house. Tired and drowsy, Yami passed it off as his mind playing tricks on him, but the noises started getting a little louder. After looking at the clock once more, he tossed the covers aside and drug his feet to the kitchen, where the noise seemed to be coming from.

Yawning, Yami carefully cracked open the door and peeked inside. The sun hadn't risen yet, so the room was almost too dark to see into. Annoyed and desperately wanting to go back to bed, Yami opened the door a little wider and reached his arm in and searched the walls for the light switch. Once he found it, he flipped it on and cringed when the new brightness hit his eyes. When his vision went back to normal, he looked around and quickly found the source of the noise standing in front of his refrigerator. It was a little white, furry thieving rat.

"What the hell are you doing here, Bakura!" Yami yelled, but at a level to where it would not wake up anyone else. He could not believe the thief had chosen today of all days to mess with him. Yami could already sense today was going to be a bad day...

"What? I can't visit a good friend every now and then? I just thought I'd drop by and um, catch up with you and the little twerp." Bakura said, holding his hands up in an innocent gesture.

"Oh really? At four freaking thirty in the morning? Get out of my house, thief." Yami said. He could already feel his veins starting to pulse.

"Don't you have any manners? You could at least offer your guest some refreshments before you so rudely kick them out of your home." The thief said, feigning to be offended.

"It looks like you've already helped yourself." Yami said, pointing to the sandwich on the counter in front of Bakura. He crossed his arms across his chest and waited for Bakura to respond.

"Oh well, I was just merely being considerate of your sleeping needs."

"Like hell you were. Get out!" Yami demanded. He was quickly beginning to get a headache.

"Or what? You'll throw a potted plant at me again?" Bakura asked with a sneer. Being the devil he is, Bakura had decided to show up at Yami's work one day and waited for him to come back into the dressing room before dumping a bucket full of honey and white feathers onto the ex-pharaoh's head. Yami was not in the best of moods and chased the thief around the entire building with an innocent potted plant in his hand, readily aimed at the albino's head. It had earned them a good bit of laughter from the photography staff and some fellow models, but it took hours to wash the sticky substance out of Yami's hair, and the vase from the plant had nailed Bakura in the head and he had to get stitches. Nothing major, but Yami never regretted it.

"Possibly. How did you get pass the alarm system anyway?" Yami asked.

"Oh please, Yami. That 'security system' has been out of commission for at least a month now."

"Well, I'm glad to see you've taken full advantage of it. I guess that would explain why we're always out of mayo, but thank you Bakura, for that helpful bit of information. Now I can get the alarm fixed." Yami said with a smile, glad to see the thief grumble unintelligibly.

* * *

Bakura finally left with his sandwich and Yami decided to go into the living room and flip through the channels on the t.v. After fighting off Bakura, he was wide awake and gave up on any hopes of sleeping. To his dismay, there only seemed to be infomercials and reruns of random reality shows airing so early in the morning. He kept flipping the channels and found a rerun of last week's episode of "America's Next Top Model." Since this was Mai's favorite show, he had been forced to listen to her constant gossip about the different models and all the drama that came with them.

The show had ended an hour later, and Yami decided he might as well start getting ready for the day. Today, he was going to get his revenge on Seto Kaiba.

Another hour passed and Yami had already bathed, washed his face, and gotten dressed. He decided to wake Yugi up and make breakfast for them. Yugi questioned why he had been up so early, and Yami was forced to retell his encounter with Bakura.

"It's been a while since Bakura last showed up. Should have known he was up to something." Yugi said, cutting up the omelet Yami had made him.

"Yeah. Do you think you can check out the alarm today? You're much better at fixing things than I am." Yami asked, sipping a glass of orange juice.

"Sure. So why don't you tell me what you were ranting about on the phone last night? You looked really upset at dinner." Yugi asked.

"Don't worry about it, aibou. Yesterday Seto Kaiba came by and hired me to model off some new dueling merchandise."

"What? He seriously hired you? Did you meet him? Is he as intimidating as he is on television?" Yugi asked excitedly.

"Yes, and just as rude. Someone needs to teach him some manners." Yami grumbled.

"Oh, boy. What did you do to him? I know you're not the kind the hold back."

"I haven't done anything. Yet."

"That figures. I'll be watching the news to see when they report a crazed model castrating famous millionaires. I'll make sure to record it so you can watch it in prison." Yugi said, smirking while his brother rolled his eyes.

* * *

At 7:20, Yami heard a car horn outside the game shop. He grabbed his jacket and told Yugi he was leaving. Stepping outside, he saw Mai's red sports car parked in her usual spot on the curb. As he approached the car, he saw that Malik had already situated himself in the passenger's seat. Yami smiled and got in the back seat, pushing aside Mai's various shopping bags and makeup kits.

"Mornin', hun. Ready to seek out revenge on a certain blue-eyed hunk?" Mai greeted, looking at him through the rear-view mirror.

"Malik told you?" Yami assumed.

"It was the only way she'd give me a ride." Malik answered.

"I see. So you don't mind us mentally disturbing your dream man, Mai?" Yami asked, smirking a little.

"And physically." Malik added gleefully.

"Sweetie, I have about a hundred different dream men in this city alone. I'll just pick one from the other ninety-nine." Mai said, laughing at her own joke.

"Yugi thought I was going to castrate him." Yami said, chuckling at the memory.

"With you and Malik teaming up, you might as well be." Mai said. Yami and Malik looked at each other and grinned.

"This is going to fun! I even brought a couple bottles of wine and some other fun stuff, to 'set the mood'." Malik said, patting the bag in his lap impishly.

* * *

The three arrived at the mansion and Mai drove up the circle driveway around a large marble fountain. Yami found it strange that the fountain looked like the duel monster, "Blue Eyes White Dragon." He wasn't sure if he was imagining it, or if Kaiba was really that obsessed with a card game.

Yami knocked on the overly large doors and one of Kaiba's servants opened the door for them. Yami stared in wonder as the servant led them through elaborate hallways, and through numerous rooms that didn't even serve a real purpose other than to show off his wealth. It annoyed Yami that Kaiba just threw money around, and he had to work extra just to pay off the bills.

The servant guiding them stopped in front of two doors and pushed them open. Three walked in and were impressed at what they saw. Before them was a large indoor dueling stadium, much like what Yami had seen on television. He couldn't explain it, but the more expensive everything looked, the more pissed off he got.

_'Damn, rich bastard.' _Yami thought.

"I shall inform Master Kaiba that you have arrived." The servant said, swiftly leaving the room.

"'Master'? Does everything he does have revolve around boosting his ego?" Yami complained.

"He hasn't even shown up yet, and you're already bashing him? Maybe he was just in a bad mood yesterday. Give him another chance." Mai said, trying to calm her tri colored friend.

"If I was considering another chance, do you think Malik would be here?" Yami pointed out.

"So how exactly do you plan on getting your revenge? Malik only gave me limited details on the car ride to your place." Mai asked, keeping her eye locked suspiciously on the blond's bag.

Before Yami answered, the double doors opened and Seto Kaiba walked in followed by several camera crew members and his own servants. He looked at Yami with a smirk on his face and walked ahead of the group to Yami.

"Guess you'll have to find out yourself." Malik whispered to Mai.

Kaiba stood in front of Yami, making sure to use his height as an advantage. Yami gave him a bittersweet smile, as if he had forgotten the CEO's insults.

"Morning toothpick, I'm glad to see you didn't drown in your covers this morning." Kaiba greeted.

"You know it's a good thing you're rich. Otherwise you wouldn't be able to afford hallways wide enough to fit your ego." Yami shot back.

"Heh. You're cute. You should have dinner with me tonight. My personal chefs will fatten you up in no time."

"In your dreams."

"Indeed, among other things." Kaiba said taking Yami's hand and putting his lips to its smooth surface. Yami's cheeks flushed and he yanked his hand out of the CEO's. He looked to Malik intentionally.

With a small smirk on his face, Malik excused himself to use the restroom. Mai suspected that wasn't the case, and her curiosity grew. She desperately wanted to know what the boys were up to.

* * *

Malik walked impatiently down the twisting hallways, only half listening to Kaiba's servant who was leading him. _'It feels like I'm in a bloody museum.'_ Malik thought as the elderly man rambled on about the mansion's history. Unfortunately, the old man had stubbornly insisted on guiding him so he wouldn't get lost. Desperately, he tried thinking of ways to shake off the old geiser so he could set things up and get at Kaiba. He had been looking forward to this since Yami called him on the phone last night. Yami saw it as his own twisted way at revenge, Malik saw it as a golden oppurtunity.

A little farther down the hall, he noticed a maid taking out cleaning supplies from a closet and placing them on a cart. Inconspiciously, he stepped to the side so that he was keeping pace with the old man. The maid closed the door and unlocked a room across the hall, leaving the cart unattended. When the two approached, Malik swung open the closet door and pushed the servant inside. He quickly grabbed the maid's cart and stuck it in front of the door, jamming some rags into the cracks of the door. He then dashed down several hallways until he was out of breath. He checked his surroundings and smirked to himself when he found that he was alone.

Another look around, and Malik noticed that this part of the building looked different from the rest. Instead of red carpeting, was a deep sea blue. The design patterns on the walls seemed more subtle, and there were only four rooms. Each door was unlabeled, but it was obvious these were more personal rooms. One room had two large, dark mahoghany doors with brass doorknobs. The room on the right had a single white door with a gold doorknob. Next to that room, was another pair of double doors, a much ligher wood from the dark mahoghany, but with crystal doorknobs. At the end of the hallway, there was another single door with a pale wood.

Showing no interest in the boring pale door, Malik chose to try opening the mahogany doors. If it turned out to be the wrong room, then at least there had to be something valuable inside.

Malik walked into the room and searched the walls for the light switch. He flipped the switch and marveled at the room before him. It was gorgeous and most likely the bedroom of Seto Kaiba himself. Malik smiled maliciously to himself and shuffled through the contents of his bag. He pulled out two bottles of red wine and thought to himself.

_"Such a shame dear Yami will be missing out tonight."_

* * *

**Yay, it's over! - This chapter I mean. I apologize for lateness, but I had some laptop issues. You see the wire to my charger completely snapped off so I had to get a new one. It took forever, and it was a lot more dramatic than it had to be. The people in charge of fixing/replacing my equipment wanted me to pay $85 for it! And that was with insurance! I went on ebay and I found the same (and new) chargers for $16. Ridiculous! So a lot of drama, emails, and angry phone calls took place there, but the point is that I now have a working charger. For free might I add! :D **

**Besides that, I'm content-ish with this chapter, especially considering how late it is. Now about the next chapter, let's just say Seto isn't very happy. At all. However, Kaiba is very interesting when he's angry. Just saying. Poor Yami. **

**You should review.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Yes, I am late. I am always late. However, I did somehow manage to finish this chapter just for you guys! Even though I did have to completely rewrite this chapter from scratch... Enjoy!**

**Pairing: Yami/Seto. Can you guess who is the beauty and who is the beast? By the way, where is our Gaston? Hmm... I guess you'll have to find out ;)**

**Warnings:** **Err... None that I know of. **

* * *

Yami could have sworn that he slept that night with a smile plastered on his face. He awoke the next morning and hummed all the way into the kitchen. He ignored his brother's curious stare as he fixed himself a bowl of cereal.

"Should I be worried or something?"

"What are you talking about?" Yami asked. Still humming his own tune.

"You look too happy this morning. Did you do something to Kaiba yesterday?" The younger Motou asked. His brother's sudden mood change from revengeful to pure glee was just too suspicious to ignore.

His brother knew him too well."Yugi, there is nothing wrong with being happy. I'm just glad that I don't have to deal with Kaiba anymore."

"Uh huh..."

Yugi didn't ask anymore questions, and so Yami decided he would go out and blow Kaiba's job money on Christmas gifts. Yami remembered that a few weeks ago, Yugi had mentioned a new video game that had recently come out. Kaiba had paid him very well, so he wasn't too worried about the price. With the extra money, he could even buy his grandpa a nice gift as well. Yami thought that his grandpa would probably be happy with whatever he bought him, but Yami wanted to buy something he would enjoy. He wanted to show his grandpa how much he appreciated him. It would be nice if he could afford a car so that they would no longer have to walk or ride the bus, but unfortunately, that wasn't going to happen. Yami and Yugi were young and could walk anywhere in town, but he had to face it, his grandpa was getting older. Maybe this year he could use the extra money and start saving for it.

Yami had just walked out the front door when his cell phone began to ring. Yami took the small device out of his pocket and held it up to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Yami! Kaiba knows! He knows you were the one behind what happened last night!"

Malik's high-pitched screaming forced the ex-pharaoh to hold the phone at a distance. "What? Malik calm down. Explain to me what happened. Give me every detail."

"Well you see, that's the problem. I don't remember much..."

"Why not?"

"Because I got really bored waiting on Kaiba to go to bed so I kinda... got drunk." Malik's voice said this almost at a whisper, and Yami's mind had to repeat the words several times before fully comprehending what Malik was trying to say. His plan had failed. And rather badly, too.

The hairs on Yami's neck stood straight. How could this be happening to him? "Malik... You're an idiot! Okay, so what _do_ you remember?"

"All I remember is waking up in the back of a limo with a splitting headache. I remember seeing blurred images of the people across from me and I heard Kaiba asking me something, but I don't remember what he asked. I think I said something about you and the limo stopped. Then Kaiba's goons threw me out of the limo, and Kaiba barked some orders, saying something about finding you."

Yami pondered for a moment. "How long ago was this?"

"Well, I'm still sitting in the puddle they threw me in if that gives you any idea."

"Dammit..."

"My bad, Yami."

"Yeah, your bad. I'll deal with you later."

"I promise I'll buy you a nice Christmas gift!"

Yami snapped the phone shut. _'Yeah, if I live to see Christmas.'_

Once he got to Downtown Domino, Yami had pulled his hood over his head in case Kaiba's goons were still searching for him. As a distraction, he looked through the windows, noticing how every store had begun to advertise their holiday specials and discounts, trying to catch the attention of potiential customers. At first, Yami began to worry that the game Yugi wanted would be sold out with all the last minute holiday shoppers, so he decided to visit Duke's store and ask if he still had any. If not, Yami could ask Duke to order it for him and at least avoid having to pay shipping costs.

Approaching Duke's store, Yami looked through the window and noticed two tall, buff men in black suits and shades were talking to Duke while holding up a picture. Yami recalled Malik's warning and quickly backed away from the store and hid around the corner. He waited for about five minutes before he heard the door's bell chime. Peeking around the corner, Yami watched the two men stand by a limo, talking to someone sitting in the back. Probably Kaiba. Soon after, the men walked off and the limo followed closely behind. When the coast was clear, Yami came from around the corner and walked into the store. The sound of the bell made Duke flinch, but a relieved smile spread across his face when he saw Yami. Duke signaled him over and spoke to him in a low voice, keeping the conversation inaudible to his other customers.

"Yami, do you know that Seto Kaiba is looking for you? His bodyguards just came in asking me if I knew you."

"Yeah." Yami said, keeping his voice down as well. "Malik told me this morning. What did those guys tell you?"

"They didn't say much, but they told me I would get a cash reward if I turned you in. What did you do to get a bounty on your head like that?"

"I technically didn't do anything. I don't even understand why he's coming after me when it's Malik he found drunk in his bedroom..."

Emerald eyes lit up. "Malik did what in who's bedroom?" Duke said a little too loudly. They both turned as some of Duke's customers stopped their browsing to give them curious stares.

"Shh calm down. It was supposed to be a joke to scare Kaiba."

"Well it looks like it only made him angry. Be careful, okay, Yami? Seto Kaiba is known for ruining the lives of people who tick him off."

Yami sighed, "I know. I plan on lying low for a little while. Maybe after a while he'll give up. By the way, do you know that new video game that just came out?"

"Yeah, you mean Skyrim? I have two more copies left."

Yami sighed with relief. "Good."

Hours later, Yami returned home without any signs of Kaiba or his goons for the rest of the day. He snuck in the house quietly and hid Yugi's gift in his closet. Tired from walking on his feet, Yami laid down on his bed and closed his eyes. A minute after, his cell phone vibrated and Yami grudgingly opened his eyes. Cursing whoever sent him a text message, he noticed it was from Joey, saying that he wanted to come over and watch the game with them. And by "them" he means _him_. Ever since they met, Joey has been obsessed with getting together with Yami. Just being around him made Yami want to smash his head against a wall. Joey is a sloppy eater who constantly tells Yami that reading as a hobby is a waste of time. Whenever Joey comes over to watch the game, he always sits next to Yami, puts his arm around his shoulders (no matter how many times Yami removes his arm), and drinks beer. When Joey finishes his third or fourth beer, he usually starts to yell at the t.v. and belch excessively. Even if Yami was interested in the game, there was no way he could enjoy it with Joey around. Every now and then, Joey would be too drunk to send home by himself, so their grandpa would force the blond to stay and sleep on the couch until he was sober. Yami always made sure to lock his door those nights, just in case Joey "accidentally" stumbled into his room.

Frowning at the screen, Yami wondered if he could just pretend to sleep through the game and just avoid Joey altogether. He even planned on going through with it before Yugi came into his room and informed him they were having smoked salmon for dinner, his favorite. The ex-pharaoh grumbled and reluctantly got out of bed. _'Maybe if I eat really fast, I can finish and go back to bed before Joey gets here.'_

Treading into the kitchen, Yami's top lip twitched as he saw their guest had already arrived. His back was turned, so Yami tried slowly backing out of the room. Of course that didn't work.

"Oh, Yami, there you are. I was worried you would have gotten lost in that book of yours and missed dinner. What was it called? _The Humble Games_?" said Yami's grandpa. At the sound of his name, Joey turned around in his chair. He stood uncomfortably as Joey's eyes scanned his body. The blond looked at Yami with a grin on his face. Dumb dog.

Yami felt the urge to slap somebody, "No grandpa, it's _The Hunger Games_ and I already finished that trilogy two months ago."

"Eh? What's trilogy mean?" Joey asked.

_'I'm surrounded by idiots.' _Yami thought. Someone is going to end up dead by the end of the night. "...Trilogy. It means three. As in, three books in a series. That's the 'tri' part."

"Three books too many." Joey said, carelessly swishing around the beer in his hand. "I keep trying to tell ya Yami, there are only tree things you need in this world: food, sleep, and uh..."

"Let me guess... beer?" Yami said. Yugi snickered, but made no comment.

Out of excitement, the blond swished his beer again, and the liquid escaped its container, splashing Yami's face. "Yep. That was a test and you passed! I knew you could learn."

Yami's lip twitched again and this time everyone in the room heard Yugi's snickering. He was the only one who knew to the full extent of how much Yami didn't like to be around Joey.

Refusing to respond, Yami wiped his face of the disgusting substance and fixed his own plate, seating himself between Yugi and his grandpa. It meant he would have to sit across from Joey, but it was the farthest he could get. Even Joey wasn't going to ruin his favorite meal.

When the game came on, Yami thought that if he sat in the chair reading a book, then Joey wouldn't come to bug him. During the game, Yami would steal glances over the rim of his book to make sure Joey was behaving himself. Joey just sat there, quiet and focused. It was too quiet in the room, and it scared Yami a bit.

Due his calmness and sober attitude that night, Yami even went with Yugi to walk Joey to the door. At the door, Joey froze and had a look of concern on his face.

"What's wrong, Joey?" Yugi asked.

"I think I left my jacket in the living room. Can ya fetch it for me, pal?"

"Sure."

Without Yugi there, Yami started to feel nervous being alone with Joey. So he started making small talk, like he always did when he became nervous.

"So, what did you think of th- "

"Yami, I've been tinkin' all night."

The ex-pharaoh scoffed. "That's a first."

Unfazed, the blond rested his arm against the wall, looking down at Yami with a strange look in his eyes. "This has gone on for far too long."

"What has?" Yami's body began to tense up. This doesn't sound good..

"Oh come on, it's obvious. You're in love with me. Not that I'm surprised. I accept your offer."

Crimson eyes widened. What the hell? "Offer? Are you out of your mind? Get out of my house."

"It's okay to be in love with me, Yami. Lots a people are. I tink I can make time just for you. I understand, ya just need a lil' time to get yourself prepared for this. It's understandable. I'm a pretty big deal. I'll talk to ya real soon. G'night, love."

"Love? Who the hell do you think- "

Yami paused all motion and thought when Joey pressed Yami against the wall and kissed him on the lips. His breath had the disgusting aftertaste of beer. It hadn't even lasted a minute before Yami felt Joey's hand trailing south down his side. Infuriated and disigusted, he raised a hand and slapped the blond across the cheek.

"Get. Out." This bastard was just _asking _to die!

Joey's fingers lightly brushed where Yami had just hit him. A smirk inched across his face. "Fiesty. Just how I like em'."

Yami slammed the door as soon as Joey stepped out, locking the door immediately after. He crossed paths with Yugi in the hallway and saw that he was jacketless. Shocker.

"I don't know where Joey could have put that jacket. I can't find it anywhere."

"That bastard."

Yugi immediately became concerned. "Yami? Did something happen while I was gone? Where's Joey?"

"That dog can sleep outside for all I care."

"Uh oh... Wanna talk about it?

"No, but that dog needs to be trained to keep its tongue inside its mouth."

Yugi muttered under his breath. "Crap... I'll talk to him later, okay?"

"It doesn't matter what you say. He's convinced that I'm in love with him."

Yugi sighed.

Yami sidestepped his brother and stalked angrily to his bedroom, cocooning himself in his sheets. _'How is it possible for someone to be that stupid?' _He fumed. He spent about another hour or so awake, staring up at the ceiling and raging about the blond and his stupid accent, his stupid cocky attitude, and his stupid beer. So much stress had been building up, a miniature headache was beginning to form by his temples, and his pillows were probably going to have permanent wrinkles in them from his death grip. _'Great. Just take a deep breath, Yami. Tomorrow, just take a nice walk in the park, stare at the pretty lake, and all your troubles will melt away, okay? All this work and holiday drama is getting to your head. Just keep calm and carry on'_

After his little pep talk, Yami's mind finally began to clear itself and Yami didn't open his eyes again until the next morning.

Around noon, Yami decided that he was going to take his well-deserved walk in the park. It was the last day of his weekend before he had to go back to work, and earlier this morning he had gone out and bought his grandpa what he bought him for Christmas every year, a new pack of bandanas and a signed copy of one of his modeling pictures. His grandpa always asked for one of them so that he could show it to his lady friends and ramble about how his grandson got all of his looks from him. The old man was still a player. Or at least he thought he was.

Luckily, the park happened to be a five minute walk from the game shop, so it almost took no time to get there. Past the gardens, he found his favorite spot on a lightly snowed patch right by the end of the lake. During the winter, the water froze over, and if Yami knew how to skate, then he could picture himself gliding across the ice all day. The only problem was that Yami always had a fear of the ice collapsing from under him, and then freezing to death.

Aside from that, Yami was content to stare at the lake. The way the sun hit the ice and made it sparkle mesmerized him. It was perfect. He might not have been a big fan of the cold weather, but this was something he could look forward to. Besides the hot chocolate.

In fact, even the crunching in the snow couldn't take him away from the lake. He heard voices, but they seemed distant. He was alone in his perfect little world.

"Hey!"

Unless you screamed in his ear.

Yami snapped back to reality once he realized someone was trying to catch his attention. He was automatically annoyed that someone tried to take him away from his magical moment, but infuriated when he saw who it was.

He was staring at Kaiba, panting and looking frustrated. Yami jumped back from shock.

"What the hell are you doing here!"

"It's about damn time you noticed I was here. I came to ask you something."

This wasn't happening. "I'm leaving. Unless you're going to keep stalking me." The gods must be playing dirty tricks on him. This just was _not _happening.

"Wait! You know you owe me for that little blond scamp incident, right? I'm coming to collect."

Didn't he just kick that mutt out of his house last night? Now he has to deal with this egotistical bastard barking orders at him?

"Collect what? Everything I own? Well, I'm telling you right now that you're not going to get much out of it."

The CEO clinched his fist. That stubborn bastard wasn't listening. No one ignores Seto Kaiba. "No, that's not what I-"

"You what? Wanted to say, "I'm enslaving you and your family for all eternity. Mwahaha?" It's not going to happen."

Crimson clashed with cerulean. The brunette wanted to tape his loud mouth shut. "Would you listen to me! You're so hard headed I don't understand how anyone puts up with you!"

This time Yami stayed silent, but had a full intent to counter whatever he was about to say.

Kaiba sighed. "Thank you. Although the indentured slave idea is tempting, I was only going to ask that you join me to a business party. Before you say anything, I promise that I won't try to insult you. It's not a trick, just a.. an invitation."

"No."

Was he hearing right? Who the hell tells Seto Kaiba 'no'? "What? You're given the chance to eat real food, wear nice clothes, and possibly meet someone who would pay more money for you to be their model, but you refuse? I don't understand. Most people would jump at this chance."

Yami crossed his arms in distaste. "Well I'm not like everyone else. I'd rather eat dinner at my house, put on some comfortable sweatpants, and read a book than go to your prissy party. Plus, I have my own blond scamp to worry about. I'm sure you can pick "everyone else" to be your date."

"But I don't want anyone else. I asked you."

For a moment, Yami was speechless. Kaiba was so assertive. The only words he could mutter from his mouth was, "What?"

"I don't like repeating myself. There is no one else I am interested in taking with me to this party."

"Well, that's too bad. I don't want to go."

Deciding now was a good time to exit, Yami turned to leave the park and go home. Now even his favorite spot wasn't safe anymore. Fantastic.

It hadn't taken him two steps before Yami felt Kaiba's hand wrap around his. He tried to pull his hand free, annoyed, but Kaiba's grip wasn't allowing any wiggle room. He looked back to scream at Kaiba, but any words would have died on his tongue. Because Kaiba had decided to press his own against his.

Kaiba had already caught him with his mouth open so he wasn't very subtle, but he was fairly gentle to Yami's surprise. Yami felt Kaiba's hand move, but unlike Joey, it was only to cup his face. An innocent gesture. He wouldn't dare say it out loud, but he was actually starting to enjoying this. Kaiba's breath smelled wonderful, like apple cider. His other arm wrapped tightly around Yami's waist, and in response, Yami went to wrap his own arms around the CEO's neck. He was about half way there when he paused.

_'This is a trick.'_

Yami pushed hard against Kaiba's chest, so that they separated. Kaiba looked dazed and Yami wiped his mouth.

"I know what you're doing, but it's not going to work. The same thing just happened to me last night with Joey and... and I'm not some toy for you people to play around with! The answer is still no. So, leave me alone."

Yami didn't wait for a response. He turned and bolted back to the house, leaving the CEO standing there dazed and a little startled. He ran to his house and locked the door behind him. The shop closed early today anyway. If he couldn't find some peace by the lake, then he could at least relax in a nice, long bath.

* * *

That Monday at work, Yami decided he was going to tell Mai about his weekend. He did so while she was doing his makeup, which was a huge mistake to begin with. When he got to the part where Kaiba kissed him, Mai got a little too excited and accidentally poked him in the eye with eye liner.

"Dammit!"

"He kissed you? I'm so jealous!" Mai said, completely ignoring her friend's pain.

The ex-pharaoh grumbled while rubbing his injured eye. "Don't be. I can't stand him."

"Oh come on Yami! Was he a good kisser at least?"

"Well-"

An abrupt knock on the door stopped both of them. Mai went to go get the door, figuring it was their boss coming in tell them to keep the noise down. It wouldn't be the first time. However, they were both surprised to find one of Kaiba's neatly dressed goons standing there. With a single red rose and an envelope.

Confused, Mai stared, "Uh, hi. Can I help you?"

The goon's only response was handing the rose and envelope to Mai. "This is for Mr. Yami Motou, from Mr. Kaiba. He expects you to be there."

And then he left.

Mai closed the door and squealed.

"Yami! You have to open this NOW!"

The enthusiastic blond ran up to Yami, slamming the envelope against his chest and letting it fall into his lap. Nervous, Yami picked up the envelope and examined it. The envelope had a nice gold trim to it and smelled slightly like apple cider. Yami tore into the envelope and read the letter to himself, well aware that Mai was trying to read it over his shoulder as well.

_I want to apologize for yesterday. Let me make it up to you. Meet me tonight at the coffee shop whenever you get off work. _

_- Seto_

Yami crumbled up the lettter and threw it at the wall.

_'He can't be serious.'_

"Hey, I was reading that!" Mai complained.

"I'm not going."

Mai sighed. "You are the most stubborn person I know, hun."

"Yeah, I know." As he said this, he stared at the delicate red rose laying across the makeup table. A simple, non-arrogant token that even the ex-pharoah could appreciate. Granted, he was still convinced that Kaiba was a pig, but at least he tried to make up for it.

After work, Yami decided he was going to walk the long way home, two blocks away from the nearest coffee shop. It was a late night, so he stopped by a sandwich shop on the way, figuring by now Yugi and his grandpa had already eaten dinner. Around the holidays, companies were more demanding of models for their advertisements, so Yami had more shoots than usual.

_'I should probably get a part-time job for when the holidays end...'_ Yami thought as he made his way back home. Yugi is going to graduate high school in two years, but Yami hasn't had much extra money to put aside for college funds. The game shop still hasn't been bringing in much income, and their grandpa has been looking into retirement plans lately, putting a lot of stress on Yami. Yugi has to go to college. Yami refused to allow his little brother to end up like him.

Pushing financial issues to the back of his head, Yami turned the corner onto his street. He thought about the rose Kaiba had given him earlier that day. It was probably crushed, and possibly wilted, inside his messenger bag. Yami stopped for a second and pulled the rose out of his bag, but found it was miraculously in good condition. Maybe a petal or two had fallen off.

"There you are."

_'Are you serious? I'm almost home...'_

Yami turned to find none other than Seto Kaiba standing five feet away from him under a streetlight. There was a look of annoyance on his face and he was surprisingly dressed in more casual clothing than Yami expected. It was probably expensive casual clothing, but Yami preferred this look.

It still annoyed him though.

"You know, I knew you were a stalker, but you seriously have to follow me home? How did you find me? I bet you have spies everywhere, or something."

The brunette let out an audible sigh. "No Yami, I don't have any spies. You stood me up, so I decided to take a walk, and I happened to see you walking down this street. Just hear me out."

"Don't waste your precious breath, I'm not going to be your date."

"Just listen to what I have to say. I wanted to apologize in person. I don't typically lose control like I did in the park. You interest me, and that's why I asked you to accompany me to the business party. That's all."

"Really?" The confession left Yami at a loss for his usual witty remarks. Kaiba's calm attitude was starting to calm him down as well..

"Really. I'm not some beast coming to kidnap your family, or anything absurd like that."

"I see..."

_'Maybe I was wrong about him.'_

"I can tell you're not interested. I'll be leaving now."

"Wait!"

They both shared a look of surprise at Yami's sudden outburst.

The CEO stood waiting for a response. Before Yami could stop himself, he blurted out, "Fine. I'll go to the stupid party. If it gets you off my back, then I'm in."

_'It's just a party. A boring business party. A few hours maybe, and I'm done. I can tolerate it.'_

Kaiba didn't even try to hide his smirk. Success. "Great. Now cancel all your plans for tomorrow. Call in sick or whatever you have to do. I already made an appointment for you to get fitted for a tux."

_'Cocky bastard. He knew I would give in.'_

"I don't think I have anymore paid vacation days. It's an important holiday shoot."

"Then I'll write a letter to whoever, and I'll pay triple whatever they were going to pay. This is more important. Got any more excuses?"

"...No."

"Didn't think so. Be ready for 8:30. Wake up at 6:00 if you have to put on a pound of makeup. It'd be a shame if your nose was left unpowdered."

Yami felt his eye twitch. "You know I don't actually wear makeup in real life, right?"

The brunette snickered. "Oh, I know. I just enjoy messing with you. It's almost cute when you get all riled up."

Yami grunted. "Whatever."

Still smirking, Kaiba walked closer to Yami. Yami tensed as the distance between them shortened. Kaiba gently cupped Yami's cheek with his hand and swooped in to kiss Yami on the cheek. Yami thanked whatever gods existed that it was night and no one could tell he was blushing. He felt Kaiba's warm breath come closer to his ear.

"Don't worry about the other guy. If he bothers you again, I will personally take care of him. Just call me. Anytime. I'll answer."

Yami felt Seto slip a small piece of paper into his hand. He refused to say anything, so he just nodded, not trusting his lips. Kaiba accepted the response and bid him good night. As he walked off, Yami opened the little folded piece of paper. Kaiba must have written on the coffee shop napkins while he was waiting. On the napkin, there were three numbers listed. There was his house number, personal cell phone number, and his office number with a code to bypass the wait.

Yami drug his feet to his bedroom and lazily set his alarm to wake him up an hour before Kaiba came to pick him up. He collapsed onto his bed, and only got one thought out before he fell asleep.

_'I can't believe this is happening to me.'_

* * *

**Done! No, this probably isn't the exact Beauty and the Beast you were thinking of, but the attitude is similar. Seto was rude, but now he is trying to get Yami to like him, but like Belle, Yami needs a little time to come around. Joey is Gaston (just without the bulk) for obvious reasons. Similar enough? I thought so, too. Thankfully, it's summer now, so I can (hopefully) update more often. Yay! **

**I appreciate ALL of the reviews I have gotten so far, and I apologize again for taking forever and a day to update. I hope you all still feel generous enough to leave a review letting me know what you think. I love hearing from you guys! I would also love to know what you guys think will happen, or want to happen next ;)**

**Also, to ****Sony****, I know Yami is not THAT skinny, but the point of it was to infuriate Yami. It was just an exaggeration, not what he actually looks like. I'm sorry you didn't see it that way, but I promise it will get better. I'm glad you pointed it out though. It reminds me that I have to make sure all of the readers understand what I'm trying to do, too. Thanks for letting me know :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, so I don't think I am horribly late on updating. It always seems that whenever I want to write, I become super busy. All the time. It never fails. Anyway, I am so happy with all of the reviews I am getting! Two of them seriously had me on the brink of tears as I read them back to back. No joke. **

**_Also, sorry for any mistakes.__ I do not have a Beta as of now, but I typically find most mistakes after I update. After that, I still have the chapter on file, so I will edit and re-post as I find and correct them. So, I apologize to those who read the chapter before I find those mistakes :/. Just leave me a little review to point out those flaws, and if I haven't gotten to them already, then I will definitely fix it before I move on. Even if I have already moved on from the chapter, I can go back if need be; I have two documents reserved for BatBEB._

**Pairing: Sora and Roxas... What? Hold up.. -flips through notebook- Whoops! Wrong story. Sorry folks, slight misunderstanding. What I meant to say was Yami and Seto :D**

**Warnings: Pins. Lots of pins. Sharp, pointy, skin-addicted pins.**

* * *

The next day, Yami had gotten himself ready early for his tuxedo fitting session with Seto. The idea of walking around in a monkey suit and being forced to be 'polite' and 'charming' towards people he had never even met before seemed unnerving. The only time Yami felt it was appropriate to wear such clothing was for special occasions such as weddings, funerals, and maybe prom. Not some frilly, stuck-up, my-yacht-is-bigger-than-your-yacht business party.

And suddenly, the clock seemed to be moving faster than he willed it to be.

It was nearing 8:15, and Yami was half-asleep at the kitchen table when he heard a knock on the front door. Startled from the sudden sound, Yami hazily picked himself up and shuffled his feet to the front door.

The tri-colored teen opened the door to find Seto Kaiba at his doorstep. Adorned in his trademark white trench coat, the taller of the two gave Yami a smug look, which automatically pissed off the shorter teen.

_'It's like he's trying to say, "I own you." Cocky bastard. Someone needs to put him in his place.'_

"You're early, Kaiba," Yami said, breaking the silence.

"If you're not early, then you're late. Ready to go?" The brunette responded. Without waiting for a response, he snaked his arm around Yami's waist and ushered him into the passenger seat of an expensive-looking blue sports' car.

"It's all business with you, isn't it?" Yami asked dryly. Not a 'hello' or 'good morning', just a rude CEO. What a great way to start off the day.

The brunette sneered. "Of course it is. I am a business man after all."

* * *

Yami had ridden in car before, yes, but he was pretty sure they weren't _supposed_ to go 90 miles per hour down a 55 mile road. Since they had left the game shop, the CEO had insisted on giving the red eyed teen a heart attack. Yami was imagining at least five different scenarios, in which an unfortunate pedestrian or car would underestimate the car's speed and end up getting knocked out. He considered scolding the CEO, but figured that would only result in a distraction. And with Seto already close to causing about three different car accidents, Yami decided to keep his mouth shut. For now.

Getting off the main highway, the car turned onto a gravel road that Yami did not find familiar. Seto parked the car in front of what looked like a normal tailor's shop. Yami had expected to be brought to some high profile place, being overrun by some flashy fashionista with an entire team of assistants. Their car was the only one in the small parking lot, and that gave Yami some sort of relief. At least now no one could watch him suffer.

The two males walked into the little shop, a bell chime signaling their arrival. Wine red eyes scanned the room. It seemed like a regular tailor shop, but as he looked through the glass counter, the material swabs being advertised were labeled with uncommon names that Yami had never heard of before, or could even attempt to pronounce. He found it strange that there were no prices labeled on anything in the shop. Though he was sure the price would be steep.

_'Must be nice not having to worry about_ _how much money you spend.' _

"Give me a moment boys!"

The voice was strained, like an elderly woman's. Yami could hear material ruffling in the back of the shop. Moments later, a short woman with salt and pepper hair tied into a perfect bun walked in and greeted the two boys with a friendly smile.

"Good morning, Ms. Yotori." Seto greeted, trying to sound uninterested. Yami nodded his head.

"Yes, a good morning indeed. You two can follow me into the back room." The woman said. When the two boys hesitated, she sighed audibly, "Come on now. Walk and talk. Seto, my boy, you never gave me the details of what kind of suit you wanted for your _friend_. I can make one within a few hours, but for God's sake, you could have at _least_ told me he was _this_ attractive. He'll look just stunning in red..."

Yami blushed. By now, he should be used to such compliments, but for some reason it made him nervous to think that Kaiba would actually describe him as 'attractive'. Perhaps it was because he had never heard the CEO compliment anyone before.

"I figured you would be a better judge of what would look best. I am no expert on fabrics." The brunette responded.

When the trio reached the back room, Yami took notice of numerous blueprints and fabric scraps strewn across the room. Towards the back was a raised platform surrounded by three angled mirrors. The woman gestured for Yami to step onto the platform. When he did, she stood silent for a what seemed like a long time, studying his body and facial features. Seto was watching too, making Yami feel awkward under their gazes.

"My, my, he could be a model. Perfect form. Striking, alluring eyes. Flawless complexion. Not too tall or lanky, but a little on the short side.." The woman rambled.

"He is a model. Mine to be exact." The CEO said possessively. His lips curled into a smirk.

_Excuse me? _Yami felt his eye twitch. _I know this fool isn't thinking straight._ "I belong to no one."

"Let me be clear: you agreed to be _my _date, accepted _my _rose, and now you are standing here being fit for an expensive suit that _I _am paying for. Therefore, you are mine." Seto glared at the crimson eyed teen. He dared him to tell him he was wrong. The woman was right though, Yami did have alluring eyes..

Yami glared back. He was not about to put up with this nonsense. "I only agreed to be your date so you would stop stalking me!"

Kaiba's eyes narrowed. "You owe me."

"I owe you nothing. You owe me for making me miss an important shoot this morning!" He shouted back. The nerve Kaiba had!

The woman watched the two males bicker back and forth and sighed. They were practically perfect for one another, but damn they were annoying. She had never meet the shorter teen before, but she could see that he was one of few that had the nerve to stand up to Seto. Over many years, she had paid special attention to the brunette, noticing when he was holding back and being defensive. It made her wonder...

Wondering aside, she still had business to attend to, and these two were wasting her precious time. "Boys! Be quiet!" She strained her voice loud enough to catch the males' attention. Their glares lingered, but they turned their full attention to the shopkeeper.

"Seto, why don't you wait in the front. I don't need you getting fussy and throwing a tantrum. Go make some phone calls or something. Yami is in good hands here."

The only response she received was an exaggerated eye roll. With the CEO gone, the woman sighed audibly for the third time today. She turned to the spiky haired male and smiled. "You'll have to excuse Seto, dear. He isn't very open about his true emotions. Stand a little more center please. Yes, now do you know your measurements?"

Yami listed off the required measurements. He's had them taken enough times to know them by heart. "I don't know what you mean by 'true emotions'. As far as I'm concerned, he's just an ass who tricked me into being his date for a dumb business party."

The woman wrote the measurements down on a palm sized notepad. "Don't be so blind. Yami, was it? Seto Kaiba is a very defensive man. He isn't used to letting his guard down around others. If you pay close attention, you can tell that he is holding back. Do you prefer silk or suede?"

"Hn." Yami did not think Kaiba was one to hold back. Ever. He sure shouted and demanded what he wanted all the time.

"Silk it is then." The woman decided. She flipped the page and started to sketch out the suit. "I think he likes you."

Yami's breath hitched. Seto Kaiba, like _him_? The old bat must be mistaken. "I-I doubt that. He's only interested in himself." He declared, trying to sound convincing.

"You would be surprised. He has a younger brother that means the world to him. A very kind, cheerful young man, as well. If Seto was only interested in himself, then he wouldn't work so hard to be a good father figure for his brother. Now that I think about it, explain to me why _you_ are here, Yami. Seto could have brought a trophy wife, or someone of equal social standards with him to the party. I know for a fact that models aren't paid _that _much, dear. So, why you? If you can explain that, then I will admit I am wrong and will never bring it up again."

Damn. Yami hadn't thought about it that way. Why _did_ Kaiba seem so determined? The way the old woman edged her words made him hesitate. Now he wasn't sure what to think. Or how to respond for that matter.

"He thinks I owe him." Yami finally responded. It was fact.

"If you just 'owed' him, then he certainly wouldn't ask you to be his date and spend this much money on you. Being his date, that entails that he wants to dance with you, introduce you to people important to his career, and ultimately get closer to you. Try again." She said, her eyes never looked up from the sketch, but she could sense the other's cheeks flushing.

And they were.

Yami frantically scanned his mind for another excuse. That couldn't be right. The CEO had to be deceiving him when he kissed him, lying when he said he found him interesting, and being a jerk when he so boldly claimed him just moments ago. This woman was trying to confuse him! And it was working.

"I don't understand. If Kaiba wanted to get close to me, then couldn't he do that without being an ass? Most people wouldn't be rude, stalk you, or treat you like a piece of property to try to win favor." Yami scoffed. Let's see her try to counter that! He may not have that much experience with relationships, but he was pretty sure they didn't start out with "Hey, I just met you, and this crazy, but I bought you this rose, so now I own you."

The old woman didn't respond at first. She stared at the completed sketch of the suit and flicked her eyes up to Yami, picturing the suit on him. Scratching out something on the notepad, she scanned the room for a scrap of red silk. After fetching said scrap, she held it up to Yami's eyes. "Yami, do me a favor and instead of listening to what Seto is saying, listen to what he isn't saying. When he is nervous, his face hardens and sometimes he avoids the subject. When he wants to say something but then decides against it at the last minute, his hand tenses. Look for that when you talk to him, and think about the unsaid."

Curiosity lingered in Yami's head. "How do you know Kaiba so well?"

"Haha, well dear, I suppose that is something you will have to ask Seto. He wasn't always wealthy, you know. You are going to look absolutely stunning in red."

* * *

"Whew! Thank the gods it's over. I never want to go through that again." Yami complained as he situated himself back into the passenger's seat. That old prick had poked him _five times _with those damned needles!

"It wouldn't have been so bad if you had just stopped jerking around." Seto struck back. He prayed to the gods that Yami didn't plan on complaining for the whole day.

"I wouldn't have been 'jerking around' if she hadn't poked me in the first place!" Yami said. It's not like it was his fault.

"You're such a wimp." Seto replied, turning the car back onto the main highway. So much to do, so little time... The things he put up with to prepare for this party. He didn't even like half of the people who were going. At least Yami would be there.

_Where the hell is he going? _Yami thought. "You went the wrong way, Kaiba." _Is he lost?_

"No, I didn't. You fooling around in the tailor shop is making me late for my many other appointments. So, I suggest you get comfortable, princess."

A whole day. Stuck with Kaiba. All day. With Kaiba. Not happening. Yami's plan for the day was to wake up long enough to get this monkey suit fitting thing done, and then go home and read his book in peace. It was like the book was just calling out to him. When Yami weighed his two options, he figured he could either stay, or jump out the car as soon as the car stopped at a red light and run home to where things were civil and safe. As much as he favored the second option, the old woman's words nagged at him.

Listen to the unsaid... What the hell did that mean?

Yami sneered at the thought.

Seto heard a sneer coming from the shorter teen. He wondered why the crimson eyed boy wasn't throwing a fit over the insulting nickname. It was still morning so perhaps he was too tired. "If it makes up for it, I'll take you out to dinner tonight. You look like you could use some fattening up."

"Is that your messed up way of asking me out on a date?" Yami asked.

"What if it is?" Seto demanded. He didn't like the way the smaller male was questioning him.

Yami paused. Did he want to go on a date with Kaiba? Up until now the brunette hasn't exactly been 'charming', but in a way he appreciated that he wasn't a doormat. Plus, above anything else the old shopkeeper made him curious. Just sitting there he learned that Kaiba had a younger brother and was practically raising him, as well as himself. It reminded Yami of himself, working hard to take of his family. He thought of how hard it was to support his family and still be a good brother to Yugi. Though he would never say out loud, he felt a connection with the CEO.

"Then I accept." Yami caught himself smiling when he noticed Kaiba's hand tighten on the steering wheel. Maybe the old bat was onto something after all.

* * *

"Is it over yet?"

That Ra forsaken meeting had lasted for nearly two and a half hours! Yami thought he was going to die of boredom waiting outside of the door of Kaiba's office. He had read all the magazines, counted all of the squares on the ceiling twice, and fallen half-asleep by the time the CEO finally concluded the meeting.

The brunette smirked at the dozing male. "Yes, and I'm starving. Let's go."

To his surprise, Seto had offered his hand to Yami. Hesitantly, Yami placed his hand in Seto's and stood up. Once again, Seto slipped his hand around Yami's slim waist. As strange as it was, Yami felt himself getting used to it.

Yami learned fast that if he closed his eyes, then he could pretend Seto wasn't a crazy lunatic out to run over innocent people. On the bright side, they made it to the restaurant in no time.

When Yami looked around, he noticed that Seto had brought them to an Applebee's. Just a regular, normal restaurant. He wasn't sure if he should be thankful or confused. Besides the mansion, Kaiba hadn't taken him to any high class establishments. Was Kaiba embarrassed to be seen with him around his rich friends?

"Is something wrong?" Seto asked. He saw the look on Yami's face and wondered if he had chosen the right place.

"No. Nothing's wrong." Yami replied. It's been a while since he had eaten a meal that he didn't cook himself or take-out. At least Kaiba was paying for it.

The two were escorted to a booth near the back of the restaurant. Once seated, the waitress quickly took their drink orders.

"Are you sure nothing's wrong? You've been fidgeting since we got here. We can find another place if you don't like it here." Seto asked, slightly annoyed.

"No, this place is fine. It's just been a while since I last ate out." Yami admitted. He felt bad about eating out without Yugi or his grandpa. They sometimes ate out on special occasions, but that was about it. It felt strange to eat out without a special occasion to celebrate.

"Hn."

Soon the waitress came back with their drinks and took their orders. Seto found her high pitched voice annoying so he was relieved when she finally left. Yami seemed to get along well with the waitress, though. Too well for the CEO's taste. The young girl looked at him with admiring eyes and giggled at everything he said. And Kaiba hated it. As she walked away, he had half a mind to have her fired. He watched Yami; his smile slowly faded as he turned his attention to the desert list.

"Yami."

The other looked up from the list with curiosity. "Yes?"

"Do you like her?" He asked. He felt his face harden. He wanted to seem neutral, when in fact, he was quite anxious to hear the answer.

"What? Sure, I guess so. She's a kind person." Yami replied. A ghost of a smile on his lips.

Yup. Someone's getting fired tonight.

As if on cue, the young waitress came back to their table to hand them their plates. Seto watched as Yami smiled warmly at her. When she smiled back, that was it. Yami was _his_ date, not some lowly waitress'!

"Thank you." He heard Yami say to the girl. Oh, so Yami is kind to some bright-eyed hussy, but not to him? Oh hell no.

"No problem." The waitress smiled. She reached over and picked up the plate with Seto's food. Before she could set it down, though, it was swatted out of her hand, sending the plate crashing on the floor.

"Seto!" Yami screamed. This was _so_ not the time to start acting like a drama king!

"I've had enough of this! Get the hell out of here you hussy!" Seto yelled at the girl. The whole restaurant was staring at the poor girl trying to clean up the mess. Good. She needed to learn a lesson about trying to take what was his.

"What? Did I do something wrong? Sir, I didn't mean-"

Seto cut her off. "Didn't mean what? Didn't mean to flirt around with what's _mine_? You're a disgrace."

"Seto Kaiba!" Yami stood up and placed himself in front of the waitress, facing the brunette. "What the hell is your problem? I do not belong to you! This girl did not do anything wrong! No one is 'flirting' with me, and even if they were, it isn't your place to scream at them. I am single. You are single. Stop being such a possessive ass hole!"

This time, Seto slid out of the booth and looked down at Yami. Why must the red eyed male be so difficult? "Then be mine."

The entire restaurant turned silent. Even Yami was shocked. "What did you say?"

The CEO forcefully wrapped his arm around Yami's waist, bringing him closer to his chest. "Be mine, Yami. I can give you anything and everything you want." Seto moved in closer to Yami's ear. He whispered huskily, "Everything would be so much easier if you just gave in, Yami."

Yami was frozen. On the inside, he was freaking out. The way Kaiba talked to him sent shivers down his spine. The CEO was the only one who could do that to him. For a minute, he actually wanted to give in, to just be Seto's and make things easier. However, that feeling passed and was replaced with anger. He was not going to be treated like a spoiled child's toy!

Yami pushed against Seto, nearly tripping over the waitress who was still trying to clean up the mess. "You sicken me. I'm out of here."

Yami gave an apologizing smile to the waitress, and then stormed off without looking back. Seto stood there speechless. Why was Yami being so difficult? Seto had never dealt with someone this stubborn before. Most people would have melted into his arms the first time without resistance. Not Yami though. Despite it making the CEO's attempts at winning Yami's favor difficult, Seto liked the challenge. Perhaps he would have to change his strategy for this one.

But at the moment, Yami was walking out the door, and he was still standing there like an idiot. The entire restaurant was still watching him, like they had just witnessed a couple break up, and he was the bad guy. Ignoring their stares, Seto growled under his breath and followed Yami outside.

He spotted the smaller male already walking down the sidewalk. "Yami, stop!" He called. To his surprise, Yami stopped and looked at him, his ruby eyes burning with anger as the brunette approached him.

"What do you want?" Yami demanded. He wasn't in the mood for games.

"Why are you so resistant towards me? Anyone else would have given in a long time ago."

Yami raised an eyebrow. _Is he serious?_ "Because I'm not like everyone else, Kaiba. I don't want your money, your fame, or whatever else you're 'offering'. It's not that I'm being resistant, it's that you're being a possessive, greedy ass hole, and it's a huge turn off. I can't stand being around you when you act like this. Stop claiming me like I'm your damn property. Going on a date, is just that: a date. It isn't some binding contract that gives you permission to act like a fool. I don't care how much that suit cost you. If you don't straighten up and act like a normal human being, then I will not go to that stupid business party with you."

Seto stared. Was Yami telling _him_ what to do? Under normal circumstances, he would have either slapped him or threatened Yami with hollow threats, but for some reason Seto felt embarrassed of himself. He felt uncomfortable being criticized by Yami. His chest felt heavy, and he no longer wanted the shorter male to be angry with him. It was almost as if Mokuba were yelling at him...

"Fine." Seto said. If Yami wanted him to change, then fine. Seto was determined not to let Yami go without a fight. He didn't have a plan yet, but that's what Mokuba was for.

Yami blinked. Did he just win? "Fine?" He questioned. The tri-colored teen studied the other's face. His hand wasn't tensing; he seemed calm.

"Fine." The CEO re-stated. He was confident in this new-found strategy. "Would you like a ride home?"

Yami was officially lost. Did he miss something? "U-uh, sure."

* * *

Seto Kaiba pulled into the circle driveway in front of the mansion and handed the keys over to one of his servants. He walked through the front door and quickly made his way to the living room, where he knew his little brother would be, playing video games as usual.

Just as he expected, he found the black haired boy laying on his stomach in front of the flat screen t.v. He watched as his brother cheered to himself after beating his own best score. Seto just stood there in the doorway, content to observe for a while.

As if sensing someone was watching him, the younger Kaiba paused the game and turned to face his brother. A smile spread across his face as stood up to greet his brother. "Welcome home, Seto. What took you so long? I thought you would be home hours ago."

Seto felt a small smile spread on his lips. Even though he didn't expect him to, Mokuba always waited for him to come home. Once or twice, he had come home past midnight and found the young Kaiba fast asleep on the couch or in his office. Because of this, Seto tried his best not to get home too late.

Instead of giving his brother a response, he opted to ask his favor while he still had the guts. "Mokuba, I need a favor from you. Promise me you won't laugh. This stays between us."

The raven haired boy could sense the seriousness in his brother's voice. His first reaction was to worry. His brother rarely asked favors of him. "Sure, I promise. What's up?"

Seto's face hardened slightly. This was embarrassing. "I need you to help me to be... _charming_, I suppose you could say. I don't want to lose my temper so easily and I want you to give me some tips on how to win favor."

"You want me to what? Seto, did something happen?" Why in the world would Seto all of a sudden want to be 'charming' and 'win favor'? Mokuba never expected to ever hear his brother say that in his lifetime.

"Not something. Some_one_." The brunette clarified. He spoke the last part so softly Mokuba almost didn't hear him.

Ah. Now he understood. If Seto had found someone special enough to make him want to change, then it was a miracle. Mokuba decided he already liked this mystery person and wished to meet them. Mokuba loved his brother to the moon and back, but he prayed that someday, Seto would find his perfect match. Hell, Mokuba had tried multiple times to set his brother up on blind dates, but nothing ever worked. If this mystery person was having this effect on his brother, then he wasn't going to question it. Yet.

"Ah, gotcha. I'd love to help."

Mokuba would do everything he could to help his brother. This was more important than anything. He wanted his brother to be happy. This mystery person had no idea how lucky he would be to have his brother.

And thus, Mokuba decided. Instead of sleeping, he would stay up and write some mini note cards for his brother to get him started. His work was cut out for him.

He called it: Operation Beauty and the Beast.

* * *

**Whoo! I can see the gears starting to turn! I bet you all just can't wait to see what Mokuba has in store for our big bad CEO ;) I also can't wait to see what you guys think of the story so far! I love all of your reviews. It's what keeps me motivated :3**

**Up until now, I had no idea what I wanted the plot to be like, but through writing up this chapter, I now have an idea for what I think will be a good plot. I just hope all of you will feel the same way.**

**Is it sad that I had no idea I was writing a Prideshipping fic until recently? Is it also sad that I really don't understand these terms? Haha I thought so, too. Oh well.  
**

**Anyway, don't forget to review! :D  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys I'm back! Not too long to wait for an update, right? No? Well here you go anyway! I am so glad to hear you guys like my terribly corny humor so much XD The reviews mean a lot to me. I think you are all trying to make me cry now, and it's working!**

_**"Beta" just doesn't seem to exist in my vocabulary. I usually do a pretty decent job of finding most of my mistakes, so I think I'll be okay without one for the time being. _**  
****  
Pairing: Seto/Yami -because you totally couldn't tell that from reading the description.****  
Warnings: Non-existent. **  
**Disclaimer: Who cares? Most of you have probably already skipped this part and started reading the stuff that's actually important. I know I would. So technically, I could say whatever I want and no one would care whether or not I owned YuGiOh! So, fish. Yeah. Fish. **

******Apparently, this is a "Prideshipping" fic. At least it sounds cool.  
**

**Enjoy!  
**

* * *

_Someone kill me. Anyone.  
_

"Seto, you can't just insult people like that! What if Yami looks really nice and you insult him? You have to smile at him and tell him he looks good because no one wants to hear your rude sarcasm and- "

_'Yami always looks good. He is a model after all. It won't make a difference to him if I say it...'_**  
**  
Mokuba was killing him. Pounding in lesson after lesson, and drowning him in irritating lectures about how to be a 'proper gentleman'. 'Gentle' and 'man' just didn't seem to be working out for him. If it weren't for the prize waiting for him if he were to succeed, then he would have given up a long time ago.

And Yami would be quite the prize.

"Okay. Fine. I won't call him any nicknames. Though I don't see anything wrong with calling him 'princess'."

"Because the way you say it makes it sound demeaning! That's something you would call a five year old girl, not a nineteen year old male. You want Yami to feel like an equal." Mokuba said. So far, Seto's "training" hadn't been going too well. Perhaps he should invest in a spray bottle.

"But he's not. Our social standards are completely different." Seto replied. It was true, wasn't it? Yami wasn't exactly a CEO of a large, multi-billion dollar company.

Mokuba brought his palm to his forehead. How can his brother be this dense? "Not money-wise Seto. As a person. Yami is just as human as you are." _'I think...' _Mokuba added mentally. There were times where his older brother _did_ seem more like a computer than a human.

"Hn." It was the only response he could manage. He wasn't used to thinking of others as "equals." Except for Mokuba. It was a bad habit he had picked up from his demanding step father.

Unfortunately, Mokuba understood this as well. He resented the fact that their step father had destroyed any social skills Seto had when they were young. If only he could bring out the old Seto... Everything would be perfect.

"Mokuba, I already told you this a thousand times. Yami is a model. He will not care if I tell him what he already knows." Seto grunted.

The younger Kaiba sighed. "Well insulting him isn't exactly going to make him want to jump in your lap and come home with you either."

"Mokuba!" Seto scolded. He didn't like listening to his younger brother talk like that. He didn't need the reminder that his brother was already growing up.

"I'm just saying. No pet names. If you want to win Yami's heart, then just be nice to him. I'm sure that a lot of people go after him because of his looks, and you said you like him for his personality, right? _That_ is what's going to reel him in, Seto. If he isn't interested in your money, fame, or looks, then you have to show him that you feel the same way. Your "social standards" may be different, but you both want the same thing. Use that to your advantage."

_'Damn, I guess he has a valid point. Plus, it would be nice to see a non-temperamental Yami for once. Although, there's something about a feisty Yami that just gets my blood pumping...'_

"Hey! Seto? Are you listening to me?" Mokuba whined.

Immediately, the CEO shook his thoughts away. "No pet names... got it."

Mokuba let out an audible sigh. Looks like Seto was going to need those note cards after all.

* * *

"No. Absolutely not."

"But Seto! You have to take them with you. What if you screw up and need help?" Mokuba begged. His older brother was already sitting in the limo, leaving to pick up Yami from the game shop. As much as he wanted to go with Seto and spy on his new date, he couldn't. The party was serving alcohol, so Seto refused to allow his brother near the addictive substance. Which means that he won't be able to help his brother out if he messes up. Which also means that Seto _has_ to bring the note cards with him, just in case.

"I won't 'screw up'. I know enough to get by." Seto insisted. He would feel like a fool carrying around those note cards. He was Seto Kaiba damn it! He didn't become the youngest CEO of Kaiba Corporation by cheating off of some silly note cards.

"Please Seto. I stayed up all night making them just for tonight. You don't have to use them. I know you're strong enough to handle anything. Just keep them in your pocket as a good luck charm. For me?" Mokuba pleaded. With years of practice, his eyes became rimmed with little tears, threatening to escape. He diverted his gaze to the ground. Guilt trip. Seto had a weak spot for this look.

The CEO growled under his breath. "Fine." He took the cards from his brother's persistent hand and shoved them into the inside pocket of his coat.

_'One day, I'll finally say no to that look.' _Seto promised weakly to himself.

He heard a cheer come from his brother. With a ghost of a smile gracing his lips, he rolled up the limo and commanded the driver to take him to the Kame Game Shop.

* * *

"You look amazing."

"Thanks." Yami chuckled. He looked at his reflection in the full-length mirror in his bedroom. He had to admit, he looked pretty damn sexy. His coat and slacks were a bold black, but his silk dress shirt was a crimson red that nearly matched his gem colored eyes. The black tie wrapped around his neck only made the shirt stand out more.

"Kaiba is gunna go crazy when he sees you." The violet eyed teen said excitedly. He giggled from amusement when he saw his older brother blush.

Yami always felt his face heat up when he thought of Kaiba complimenting him. He didn't know why, but it was unnerving to say the least.

"Yami! Seto Kaiba is here!"

For some reason, Yami jumped at his grandfather's announcement. His nerves seemed to be especially bad tonight, despite his brother's enthusiasm.

The tri-colored teen took his time walking down the steps, despite his anxiousness. At the bottom of the steps, Seto Kaiba stood in his living room. His eyes were focused on the staircase, watching Yami. A small smile appeared on his face as Yami stood before him.

Yami stared in wonder. Seto looked absolutely stunning. His suit seemed to contrast with his own. Seto's coat and slacks were a crisp white, like fresh fallen snow. His dress shirt was a deep ocean blue, probably meant to match the CEO's eye color. However, Yami felt that no shade of blue could possibly compare to the power and authority Kaiba's eyes held.

"Hello, Kaiba." Yami said, still watching the CEO with fascination.

"Good evening, Yami. I'm glad you decided to join me tonight. We can leave as soon as you're ready." The CEO said, calmly. His smile never faded. The brunette found it amusing when the red eyed teen looked up to him with a confused look.

The sudden change in attitude from Kaiba slightly stunned Yami. _'What was that all about? My nerves are already bad. I don't need Kaiba acting all suspicious on me, too.'_

_'Maybe he's doing it because Yugi and Grandpa are here.' _Yami reasoned. "We can leave now. I expected you to be early, anyway."

"As you wish."

Instead of grabbing Yami around the waist like he normally would, Seto opted to offer only his hand out to Yami. He watched Yami's hesitation as he placed his own hand in his. Was he trying too hard? Was this not normal of a date to do?

Stepping outside of the game shop, Seto gestured for the smaller teen to enter the backseat of the limo. Slipping inside, he noticed that Yami had a strange expression on his face.

"You're acting rather pleasant tonight." Yami stated, his voice lined with suspicion.

"I promised that I wouldn't insult you tonight, didn't I? I always keep my promises." The brunette replied.

"I see..." Yami responded. It felt strange when Seto acted like this toward him. It was fake. He would rather the CEO be rude and honest than a bad Prince Charming impersonator.

"By the way, I forgot to tell you. You look really nice tonight, Yami." The CEO said, smiling at Yami. It was an honest smile, and Yami really did look good. He felt accomplished for putting some of Mokuba's advice to use. The CEO was surprised to see the smaller teen's cheeks flush, though.

Yami felt his face heat up and turned his head out of embarrassment. The compliment was unexpected, and it caused Yami's heart rate to spike.

"T-thank you." He stammered. He cursed himself for sounding weak in front of Kaiba.

The weak response caught the CEO off guard, as well.

"Are you okay?" Seto wondered. He thought about reaching his hand out and feeling Yami's forehead to check for a fever.

"Yeah. I'm fine. I just... didn't expect the compliment."

"I would have thought that you would be used to compliments by now. You always look good." The brunette said. Was he making Yami feel uncomfortable?

"I am. It's just... different coming from you. I have never heard you compliment anyone before." Yami admitted. He didn't know how to describe it. It felt like his heart had stopped working properly when Kaiba told him he looked good. Normally, when people complimented him, he felt nothing. Yami would just smile back and thank them. With Kaiba... it felt like his compliments had more meaning.

"Because I normally don't. You are one of the very few exceptions." Kaiba stated. He wanted to say more, but he was scared he would lose control of his words if he did.

Yami noticed the brunette's hand clench tightly in his lap. He wondered what the taller male was thinking. "What makes me so special then?"

He had no answer. Yami was special, no doubt, but he had no idea how to put it into words. It was a feeling, an understanding. Not something easily described. He was pretty sure it wasn't love, or anything bizarre like that, but there was just this compelling feeling there when he was around Yami. And he didn't want to lose it.

Since he didn't trust his words, he did the one thing he knew would get his point across.

He focused on Yami's eyes, drawing himself closer to the other's face and shortening the distance between them. He stopped just as his lips were an inch apart from Yami's. Yami's eyes widened with the sudden advancement. They were close enough to feel each other's radiating body heat through their clothes. The intensity in those passionate ruby orbs were more than enough to convince Seto that, despite his protests and using him as his personal punching bag, Yami wanted this just as much as he did.

Running on adrenaline, Seto closed his eyes and firmly pressed his lips against Yami's baby soft lips. Relief flooded through him when the other didn't pull away, and so he felt it was safe to deepen the kiss. The smaller male hesitated, but complied when Seto ran the tip of his tongue across his bottom lip, asking for entrance. His tongue slipped in and explored the hot cavern fervently. Seto felt a wonderful sensation when he kissed Yami. It was even better now that Yami was kissing him back instead of running away and screaming at him. The way their lips melted together so perfectly was addicting, and Seto was determined to keep it up for as long as possible.

Slowly at first, Seto began to push Yami down onto the leather seat. Never losing contact, Seto laid on top of Yami, careful not to crush the other with his weight. Feeling the need for air, Seto broke the kiss only to move on to Yami's jawline. He shuddered as Yami's hot breath tickled the back of his neck. As he moved on to Yami's neck, he felt firm fingers brush through his hair. Yami had stretched his neck to allow him more access; his breath hitched each time Seto nibbled on his sensitive skin, nearly letting out a high-pitched scream when Seto had suddenly bitten down hard on the back of his neck. The collar of his dress shirt would probably cover it, but it was definitely going to leave a nice little mark.

They were both so lost in the moment, they were disoriented when they finally felt the limo stop. Frustrated about having their moment interrupted, the CEO brought his lips up to Yami's ear, realizing he had yet to answer the others' question directly.

"Because you're not like everyone else."

* * *

_'Just a few minutes he said. We'll leave before midnight he said.' _Yami thought sarcastically as he picked himself up from the table Kaiba had reserved for them. The CEO had left him nearly an hour and a half ago to talk to some business associates, leaving Yami sitting at the table by himself with not a damn thing to do.

The shorter male spotted a small bar across the room. Maybe a little alcohol in his system would make this night a little more bearable. He pulled himself onto one of the bar stools, and ordered two shots of tequila and something called "Pharaoh's Paradise." He slipped the money to the bar tender and downed the first two shots.

"I don't think I've seen you before. You the son of someone important?"

Yami looked up at a middle-aged bar tender, who was semi-focused on cleaning a shot glass with a rag. "No, actually. I came here with someone else."

The bar tender chuckled. "So you got a hot date, eh son? And they left you here all alone? Not much of a date now, is it? Ha ha."

"I don't know if you could exactly call it a 'date', but he left me to go talk to some business partners. I haven't seen even a glimpse of him for over an hour." Yami corrected, feeling a little disappointed.

"I see. So are you two just friends or...?" The bar tender asked, trailing off.

What were they anyway? Sure, maybe they had kissed a few times, gone on _somewhat_ of a date, and now they were here together at this business party, but did that mean they were dating? Officially? This whole Kaiba ordeal had Yami's thoughts scrambled.

"It's complicated. We're not really much of anything." Yami finally replied, taking a sip of his Pharaoh's Paradise.

The bar tender nodded his response and went back to cleaning out more shot glasses with his rag.

With all the chit chatting around him, Yami had barely noticed the music playing. He continued to sip on his "Pharaoh's Paradise" and wondered where the hell Kaiba could be. He looked around the room, observing. The room was simply gorgeous. The tables were set with crystal dinnerware, satin tablecloth, granite floor, and a huge diamond chandelier in the middle, surrounded by smaller ones throughout the room. Everyone seemed so carefree. It hardly seemed like a business party at all. Everyone was drinking their asses off and despite wearing a tuxedo, Yami felt under-dressed. Now, Yami began to notice more nicely dressed couples moving toward the center of the room as the live orchestra began playing a soft romantic tune. His eyes quickly scanned the room for Kaiba, but then felt silly for doing so.

_'Like he's going to actually dance with me.'_ Yami mused to himself. He couldn't imagine the icy CEO going out on the dance floor and shaking his ass. It still bothered him that he had no idea what to call Seto and this "relationship" they had. Were they a couple, not a couple, kind of a couple, almost a couple, friends with benefits, or what? In a way, he wanted to go back and finish what they started back in the limo before they got here, but on the other hand, Yami still didn't know exactly how he felt about the blue-eyed CEO.

It was all making his head hurt.

Yami hadn't been paying attention when a slight pressure pressed against his back. The man's hot breath tickled Yami's ear. "Miss me?"

The red-eyed teen jumped and turned around to face the brunette, sending him a half-annoyed glare. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

Seto chuckled at Yami's expense and placed a kiss on the smaller male's forehead. "Are you drunk?" He asked seriously, scowling at the collection of glasses.

"Of course not! Just a little buzzed..." Yami said, trailing off.

"Good. Dance with me."

"What?" So he really was going to dance with him. In front of all these important people? Was Seto drunk? The blue-eyed male had extended his hand towards him, and he accepted, skeptically.

"Don't worry about people staring. Everyone here is too drunk to notice." Seto reassured him.

Seto held on to Yami's hand and led him out onto the dance floor. It was a slow song, so Seto designated himself as the lead and placed his hand firmly on Yami's hip and continued to hold on to his hand. "Kaiba, are you drunk?" Yami asked.

"I don't drink. Ever." The CEO bitterly responded, "And call me 'Seto' from now on. No more of that 'Kaiba' crap from you. I don't like it."

Yami's eyes widened in surprise. "I didn't think you liked anyone to call you by your first name?"

"I don't. However, _you_ are not just anyone." Seto said, while at the same time twirling Yami. Despite the conversation they were having, Seto kept up perfect rhythm with the music.

"Then what am I? What are we?" Yami asked, finally getting his question out into the open.

Seto stalled for a moment, not sure how to respond. Trying to keep Mokuba in mind, the brunette figured demanding what he wanted probably wasn't going to be the most tactical approach, since the spiky haired male was most likely to make a scene and stomp out. So, he decided to _try_ to put Mokuba's advice to proper use. "You are my boyfriend... if you would like."

The other's mouth gaped open like a fish. That was definitely not what he was expecting. "I like you" maybe, or "I feel a connection between us" perhaps, but not this.

"What? Kai- Seto I don't know about- "

"If you aren't sure now, then at least spend the night in my mansion. It's already past 2am. We'll discuss it later." Seto demanded, cutting Yami off. He refused to let the exotic beauty go just yet. His heart and mind were battling in a frenzy of emotion and logic. He would never admit to it, but he often times became distracted at work because the spiky haired male would intrude his thoughts, which was unacceptable, not to mention unproductive. Seto himself needed to figure out what he truly felt for the smaller teen. Something he could only do when he was with Yami.

"I guess so..." Yami said, uncertain. There really wasn't much he could do about it. Kaiba was his only means of transportation, and by now Yugi and his grandpa would definitely be fast asleep.

"Then let's get out of here. I've already made my appearance and most of the guests here will probably stay for another hour or two."

As soon as the music ended, Kaiba took off immediately, dragging a protesting Yami behind him.

* * *

The limo ride back surprisingly went by quietly, each too engrossed in their own thoughts. As the limo pulled up the driveway, Seto wasted no time escorting Yami out of the car and into the mansion.

Coming back to the mansion left a bittersweet taste in Yami's mouth. He was grateful that Seto was letting him stay here, but he still had a nagging feeling that something bad was going to happen.

"I'll have a maid take you to one of the guest rooms. There you can change into something more comfortable there. Meet me in the living room when your done." Seto demanded. He walked up the elaborate staircase, leaving Yami to his lonesome. The elder Kaiba was determined to find Mokuba and make sure he made it to bed okay.

It had taken him a while, but he finally found Mokuba sound asleep at his desk. Seto let out a small smile as he walked over to the desk. Mokuba had fallen asleep on top of more of those silly flash cards. He must have made more in case he needed more advice. Lifting Mokuba into his arms, Seto quietly made his way to the younger Kaiba's bedroom, which was right down the hall from Seto's bedroom. He didn't need to turn on the lights to find Mokuba's bed, having done this multiple times before. Shifting the young boy's weight onto one arm, Seto lifted the covers and placed Mokuba under them, securely tucking him in for the night. Before he left, Seto kissed the top of his brother's head, allowing himself another smile.

"...Seto?"

"Goodnight Mokuba."

Seto softly closed the door to his brother's room and figured he would quickly set up the living room before Yami got there.

Candles. He needed candles. Seto barked orders at some servants until he got everything he wanted. The fireplace had been lit, "mood music" as he called it, began playing in the background, red wine had been placed on the table in case Yami decided to have a glass (or more), but most importantly, the candles had been lit. Seto liked the candles the most, as they evened his temper. It was perfect. Yami wouldn't be able to resist him now.

Entering the room, Yami moaned inwardly as he saw the setup. _'Oh, great. Talk about cliche, Seto. You would think the wealthy would be able to afford more creativity.'_

Despite not favoring the cheesy setup, Yami took his place next to Seto on the couch. He _tried_ to ignore Seto's arm wrapping around his shoulders, pulling him closer. "So..." He began.

"Wine?" Seto asked, gesturing to the wine bottle set in front of them.

"Uh, no thanks. Seto..." Yami trailed, his eyes shifted to the door. If Kaiba tried anything he wanted to make sure he had a way out.

"Yami." Seto interrupted, "Don't leave. I apologize for not being the most charming or kindest person in the world, but it's who I am. I won't even try telling you I'll change, but-" Seto paused, taking Yami's hand in his own and bringing it to his lips. "if you would agree to at least try this, with me, then I _can_ promise that I will protect you. I'm not very good at expressing my feelings, but I do know that there aren't many people who make me feel like you do. I'm not ready to let you go without knowing whether or not this could work."

The sudden confession left Yami speechless. Kaiba just seemed to be full of surprises tonight. Taking in a deep breath, Yami looked straight into the CEO's eyes. "Alright. I really do want to try, but... I've never been in a real relationship before."

Seto's ocean blue eyes locked onto Yami's. He pulled the other into a passionate kiss. Yami wrapped his arms around Seto's neck and the other wrapped one arm tight around his lithe waist and his other hand cupping his cheek. Seto pulled the Yami into his lap and broke the kiss to look into those wonderful ruby eyes.

"That makes two of us."

* * *

Oblivious to the new couple, a set of smokey gray eyes had been watching the entire scene play out. He knew as soon as Seto had come home that his mystery crush had to be here as well. He followed Seto to the living room, but stayed out in the hallway, hidden. He was almost seen by Yami as he walked by, but he was determined to get a glimpse. Mokuba waited until Yami agreed to be with Seto before he decided that the new couple deserved some privacy.

Two hours later, Mokuba realized Seto hadn't gone to bed yet. The younger Kaiba had been having trouble sleeping since he left the living room. He had been so happy for Seto that it kept him up thinking about how long it had been since Seto had been happy with anyone else, besides him of course. Mokuba knew trying to spy again probably wasn't the smartest idea, but his curiosity was growing. Pulling the cover away, the raven haired boy slipped out of bed and tip toed his way downstairs.

Cautiously, Mokuba listened outside the doorway for any noise that would signal his brother was engaging in _certain _activities, but there was silence. He poked his head into the room and saw that half of the candles had burnt out. As he crept closer, he saw two forms lying on the couch. Yami had fallen asleep on top of Seto's chest. Seto had an arm wrapped around the other's back. Together they looked so peaceful. Mokuba smiled. He made his way to the closest closet and pulled out a heavy blanket. He dragged the blanket back into the living room and laid it over the sleeping couple. Satisfied, the raven haired boy went back to bed and fell asleep with a smile on his face.

"Mission complete."

* * *

**And there we have it, folks! ****This chapter had a little more romance and less corny humor, not that I really expect anyone to complain, but I just felt that this chapter had a more serious theme to it.** There really isn't much else to say other than thank you all for reading this story, and keeping up with it! Being a junior in high school while taking college courses isn't easy, but I try my best to write whenever I find a spare moment. Finding spare time is pretty hard, but I'm doing my best to keep my grades up and give you all a good story to read, as well. I have a lot of things going on in my life, but I will do my best to provide updates as soon as I possibly can. So, I apologize in advance for any late updates. 

**Don't forget to review! I don't care about how long it is; hearing from you means the world to me :)  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**I don't even have the words to express how sorry I am to have been away for so long. It wasn't even until now that I've really been back on Fanfiction and I cannot explain the happiness I felt when I saw that people were still reviewing and reading this story. In fact, it has inspired me to write again in hopes that you have not lost too much faith in me... Thank you. **

_*** I am basically my own Beta. I find 98% of the mistakes I make after I upload and fix them briefly after. Also, the line breaks are giving me trouble so until I can fix them the way I want them. _

**Pairing: Yami/Seto. See? I haven't forgotten them!**

**Warning: Who the hell knows. It's me.**

**Disclaimer: This is stupid. Fish. No own.  
**

* * *

_What the hell am I doing?_

The brunette sat at his office desk, fists balled, jaw locked, struggling with a tightness in his chest that made his entire body feel heavy, paralyzed. Now matter how hard he tried to prepare himself, the anticipation was killing him. Even the soundproof walls and bullet-proof windows didn't feel like enough protection for the CEO.

_I'm running out of time... I can't... _

"She's demanding that you get married."

_I can't lose him... _

"To a woman. She wants you to marry a woman by the end of next year. Or else..."

_But I..._

"She's going to take Mokuba away."

_I can't lose him either..._

It was clear. The terrible secret Seto Kaiba had been keeping away from Mokuba was slipping through his fingertips like sand. It was their mother. Their _real _mother. For a long time, Seto had been secretly paying an enormous amount of money for her to stay away from him and his little brother, but now she was threatening to fight for the custody of her youngest unless Seto agreed to marry a woman and prove that he could be a proper father figure.

It was the elderly shop keeper that stood in front of his desk. For nearly nine years now, Ms. Yotori had been the sole messenger between Seto and his mother. It was part of his efforts to keep his witch of a mother as far away from Mokuba and himself as humanly possible. She didn't even know what it was like to be a responsible mother, much less tell him how to be a responsible father figure to his own brother.

But the court wouldn't see it that way. She could win custody of Mokuba. And he knew it.

The brunette banged his fist on the desk, making his coffee splatter onto his paperwork. His words laced with anger. "What am I going to do? There's no way I can win that case. The jury almost always sides with the mother. Even money probably won't convince them to deny a woman her under-aged child. Even if she is a whore."

Ms. Yotori sighed, sympathetic for the young CEO. "I'm afraid you only have two options here, dear. You can either magically turn straight within the year, or..."

The CEO's eyes looked up, hopeful. Though to be honest there really wasn't much hope. "Or what?"

"Oh he won't like that."

...

* * *

"You want to me do WHAT!"

"I want you to meet my mother."

The tri-colored teen watched the CEO and waited for the punchline. His mother? According to all of the news reports and papers, both of his parents died in a car accident years ago. Everyone knew that. So how exactly was this supposed to work? He must really be dating a psycho after all.

"How am I supposed to meet her exactly? Isn't she.. uh... not here anymore?"

The brunette hesitated, cursing the media under his breath. "That's... a long story. She isn't actually dead. I don't really have the time to explain, but this stays between us, got it? She's flying in tomorrow, and there's something I need you to do. And try not to freak out. Not that you'll listen, but try."

The spiky-haired teen just knew this wasn't going to be pleasant. "And what's that?"

"You have to pretend to be a girl."

Yami slammed his hands on Seto's chest. "Hold up! I have to do WHAT now? Look Seto, I know we're dating now and all, but it has only been like two days. I don't think we're quite close enough to start meeting each other's apparently not dead mothers and putting each other in dresses."

The brunette sighed and began to rub his temple. "I understand that. I'm asking you to do this as a favor. If you don't do it, she's going to take Mokuba away from me. You have to pretend to be a girl and pretend that we are happily engaged so that she will leave us alone. I'll make it up to you. "

Yami paused. This was not how a relationship should start off. Most boyfriends would ask to take you on dates, nice long walks, and maybe a romantic dinner. But no. Not his. "Fine... So how exactly am I supposed to be a girl?"

* * *

"This is embarrassing. I hate you."

Despite what he said, the sight of Yami being all girled-up amused Seto. Ms. Yotori had whipped up a beautiful gold evening gown for the night, designed with off the shoulder sleeves that gracefully hugged his arms, tailored to give a little room for the fake boobs. Up his arms were matching long gloves to hide his muscles, just to be safe. Long, black extensions were placed on Yami's head. Where his spikes once stood proud, they were brought back down to gravity with what Yami called gorilla glue disguised as gel. At least he thought it felt like it was concrete being plastered onto his head as they rearranged his now flattened spikes to blend in and look like layers.

"I do _not_ like this." Yami complained. It didn't even help that he was wearing shorts under the dress. He still felt a breeze where breezes were not meant to be felt.

"Oh hush, child. You'll be the belle of the ball." The shop keeper mused, the other huffing as a response.

Stepping in, Seto took Yami's hand in his. "Twirl for me."

The not so spiky-haired teen rolled his eyes. "I think I'll pass, O Prince."

Jerking his hand, the brunette insisted. "Come on, twirl for me."

With a grunt, Yami did twirl. The skirt of the dress flared out gracefully with Yami as he turned. He had the presence of royalty and the beauty of a rose. His eyes were as alluring as melted rubies and skin as warm as bronze. Seto was entranced. And so would everyone who met him.

Seto did not like that thought. However, as long as his mother bought into their little scam, that was what mattered the most.

"One last thing..." Seto mumbled as he reached into his pocket. Curious, Yami watched as Seto pulled out a small box. He raised a curious eyebrow at the other, silently waiting for him to open it. Complying with the other's curiosity, the CEO opened up the box to reveal a beautiful diamond ring. Something Yami never dreamed of receiving. Even if it was for a fake engagement.

"It's beautiful."

Seto smirked. He took Yami's left hand and placed the ring on his ring finger. "Wait til you have your own."

Two hours later, Yami's eyes lit up as the limo pulled up to the restaurant. Seto had chosen one of the finest restaurants he could think of in hopes of more privacy. And fine it was. Surrounding the building was a sparkling lake lit up by fountains that were scattered about the water. The building itself appeared to be made of marble, complete with columns, over-sized doors, and stocked with eager valet attendants.

Exiting the limo, Seto turned to offer Yami his hand and help him out of the limo. It was harder to be in high heels than Yami thought, but over all he really didn't do too bad. It was like constantly walking on your toes, except the wobbly heel on the back kept catching onto everything, making him trip every so often.

"So do I have to change my name or anything?" Yami asked in a softer voice. He had been practicing to sound more feminine on the car ride over.

Seto hesitated, and then sneered. "Nah. Yami already sounds pretty girly to me." He received a swift punch in the gut for that.

The restaurant looked even more beautiful on the inside. Waterfalls and exotic plants lined the walls while large crystal chandeliers took stage across the crown molded ceilings. Yami's heels clicked against the marble floors as Seto lead him to the hostess' stand. Checking out the reservation, the hostess politely lead them to their table.

"I would also like to let you know that your guest has already arrived, Mr. Kaiba."

The brunette could feel his own lip twitch. "Great."

Towards the farther end of the restaurant, Yami realized that they were being lead up a grand curved staircase. What kind of restaurant had stairs? None that Yami had ever been to. Except for maybe that really big McDonalds he had gone into once during a school field trip.

With the table in sight, Yami caught a glimpse of Seto's mother. She looked like an older, female version of Seto, for the most part anyway. She had cold, calculating blue eyes that made Yami more nervous than he already was. Streaked with grays, her straight brown hair was thrown over her shoulder carelessly. Her makeup was dark from her smokey eyeshadow to the dark red on her lips. It was intimidating to say the least. She gave them a wicked smile when she noticed they were approaching.

"Ahh... my darling son. And who is this little diamond in the rough?"

Seto squeezed Yami's hand in warning as his mother rose from the table. She walked over to her oldest and gave him a slightly forced hug and a kiss on the cheek. Okay... maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

But then she walked over to him.

Without saying a word, Seto's mother moved to position herself in front of Yami and placed her hands on his shoulders. Staring hard, Yami's face began turning red under the pressure. What was she looking for? For him to break down? He felt like she could see right through him.

"What's your name, dear?" She asked, her eyes piercing his, not even blinking.

"Y-yami."

"Ah huh. I expected something a little nicer."

_The fuck she say to me?!_

Sitting back down, Seto's mother clasped her manicured hands together. The other two sat down, as well. However, while Seto calmly took his seat, Yami was muttering not-so-kind things about someone's mother under his breath. A swift kick from under the table made him regain focus.

"So, Seto, love, how come you haven't told me about little Miss Yami here? Seems a little suspicious that you pick up a girlfriend the day after I send Ms. Yotori with my little message."

_Bitch. She doesn't even know me and she's practically accusing me of being some kind of cheap slut. Bitch._

One could physically see the vein beginning to pulsate on Seto's forehead. "For your information, Yami and I have actually been dating for a while now. It wasn't until your _little_ message that I determined that it would be the perfect time for the two of you to meet each other and share the happy news. So there, mother this is my fiancée, Yami. Yami, this my mother, Kimi Yamagata."

While she hesitated, Seto's mother stopped herself just long enough for the waiter to come by and take their orders. Swiftly after they left, she started again, tapping her finger and staring at Yami. "So how old are you, hun?"

"I'm nineteen."

"Huh. A little young there, Seto. Okay, well what about a job? Or are you riding comfy on Seto's bank account? Just curious."

_Seto you better jump in before I jump her ass._ "Yes, I have a job. I'm a model, actually." _Bitch. You wish you had an ass as sweet as mine._

"A model, huh? An old friend of mine was a model when we were younger. A truly beautiful girl, a little more than you, hun. She had a new man almost every night and a child by eighteen. Do you have any children? Little miracles, don't you think?"

The CEO slammed his hands on the table, making both the silverware and Yami jump. "That's enough! I am getting sick of you and we haven't even been sitting here for more than ten minutes. Yami and I are engaged, Mokuba is staying with me, and you have entirely NO GODDAMN BUSINESS insulting MY bride to be! So go. We'll send you a damn postcard."

The entire room went silent. Yami's jaw was tight. What the hell was he supposed to do? He glanced from Seto to his mother. Her face went from shock to calculating... and then she smirked.

And that was it. She got up, looked at Yami with a devilish grin, and started to walk away. Over her shoulder she sneered, "Fine. It's not like this little charade even has a chance of lasting anyway. I wager you won't even make it to your wedding day. For who could ever learn to love a beast like you."

...

* * *

For the most part, the ride back to Seto's mansion was silent, tension heavy. Yami didn't even know what he could say to him. Now, he knew _exactly_ what he wanted to say to _her_, but what can you say about someone else's bitch of a mother? And on top of that, was there supposed to a fake _wedding_, too? Yami really hoped not. He liked Seto and all, but this was way too crazy of a shenanigan to be jumping into so quickly. They haven't even said "I love you" to each other yet, much less "I do".

All of these thoughts continued to race through his mind as he made his way to the bathroom. He quickly removed all of the feminine crap, put on his own clothes, and re-spiked his hair to its natural order. It was all just so strange. He became more anxious the more he played with the fake engagement ring still wrapped around his finger. It was like one day he thought that maybe one day he would have a normal relationship, with a normal person, and be happy. The end. Then, Seto came along and everything became interesting and he thought maybe things would still be okay. Two days later, he's being thrown into this huge, crazy charade out of the blue, being brutally insulted and heavily depended on. Honestly, it was not something he thought he could handle.

Coming back to reality, Yami jumped when he heard a soft knock on the bathroom door. Taking a deep breath, he quickly twisted the diamond ring off of his finger and reached for the doorknob to find a tired-looking Seto looking back at him. He looked so sad and exhausted that the tri-colored teen just stood, frozen. The brunette stood there for a moment, leaning against the door frame breathing slow and heavy. How could he have gotten Yami into this? He knew it was his fault. He could see it in those ruby eyes that he was not happy. But he was so tired...

Yami's eyes lit up in shock as the tired brunette moved from the door frame and stumbled clumsily toward him. Tripping on a misplaced towel, Yami had to think fast and just barely caught Seto in his arms. The other's height and weight advantage did not help him as the shorter teen had to use a good amount of energy to keep them both from falling over. Turning his head to breathe, Yami could see their reflection in the mirror hanging on the wall. It was almost cute the way Seto was sleepily draped over him. A feeling of warmth overcame him as he began to run his fingers through Seto's hair.

"Yami."

Feeling the other's weight shift, he waited until the brunette had regained his balance before looking into his tired eyes. With a big breath, Seto stepped carefully around the towel and placed his lips against Yami's. His touch was soft and his breath was warm. Along with all past thoughts, they melted together into a passionate, tender kiss. This was how it was supposed to be. Warm and simple. This was where he felt safe.

But he just knew that this couldn't last. There was a feeling, just an inkling, that something wasn't quite right.

"I'm sorry. Don't leave. I need you. Here."

Yami's heart began pounding, threatening to leap out of his chest. He didn't know what to do or how to respond. He looked into those deep blue eyes for an answer. How could he stay? How could he go?

"Okay... I'll stay." He whispered, giving in.

Embracing the shorter teen, the brunette wrapped one arm around the other's waist, and the other cradled his head. He placed his chin on top of the other's head and sighed in relief. He knew what he held was vital and fragile. Loosening his grip, he held onto Yami's hand and tugged. The shorter teen looked up at him questioningly, but followed close behind anyway.

They walked through the CEO's bedroom doors and unlike what Yami expected, Seto pulled him past the bed and out onto a balcony that he had not noticed when they initially walked in. Stepping out, the night chill shocked the two, but Seto left Yami just long enough to flip the switch on a heating lamp. On a padded bench, the two sat together under the stars, watching the snowflakes drop and quickly disappear. There was something just so special and so beautiful about the darkness of night and the way the light of the moon made the pure white snow glisten so peacefully. It was a beautiful sight.

However, all Yami could remember was that his head was resting comfortably on Seto's shoulder and that their fingers were laced together in Seto's lap. The warmth of the heating lamp and Seto's body heat combined made his ruby eyes flutter shut. He could feel himself falling deeper and deeper into sleep. The last thing he could remember was Seto's voice. It sounded so dreamy and distant. It was almost like a dream.

"...For who could ever learn to love a beast..."

* * *

**And there you have it, folks! Again, I am so sorry for being away for way too long, but I do hope that you enjoyed this update! I already have the next few chapters being plotted and drawn out. I think you guys are going to flip over what happens next :p So until then, let me know what you think! Love you all lots and lots!**

_**Fun fact: the last line is a quote from Beauty and the Beast **_

**Also, I found out that Yami is actually a girl's name, so that's why I kept it. I thought it was kinda funny when I saw it, so I thought that maybe y'all would find it funny, too. If you don't, that's cool, but I thought Yamina or Yasmine would sound bleh. Though now that I think about it... Yasmine really doesn't sound that bad. Eh. **

**I will also be checking for anything that I need to edit so do not be too surprised if you see this chapter change within the next few days. Figures that I can never find any of my mistakes until after I have posted the chapter for the world to see. Ugh.**

**PRETTY PRETTY PLEASE REVIEW! YOUR REVIEWS MEAN SO MUCH TO ME AND ENCOURAGE ME TO WRITE FASTER! :D**


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